Arios continued riding at full speed, determined to reach the next village before dawn. The cold wind whipped against their faces as they advanced, but Filiola began to stir slowly, surprised to realize she was tied around the waist to Arios to keep her from falling off the horse. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, though she tried to hide it.
"It's not what you think," Arios said quickly, anticipating any awkward comments.
Filiola studied him closely and noticed something alarming: a wound on his forehead, from which blood had begun to dry on his face. Unable to suppress her concern, she asked:
"Are you okay? Why didn't you heal yourself?"
Before Arios could respond, he suddenly felt dizzy. His vision blurred for a moment, and without warning, he collapsed off the horse, dragging Filiola with him as they both fell onto the dusty ground.
"You idiot!" she exclaimed, helping him sit up. "Why didn't you heal yourself? I see you only healed me… Do you not value your own life?!"
Without waiting for an answer, a frustrated Filiola lightly hit him on the head, causing the wound to bleed again. For a moment, she panicked at the sight of the blood, but Arios quickly raised a hand to calm her.
"I'm sorry… I didn't think it was necessary to heal myself," he responded weakly. "Besides, the adrenaline kept me going until now."
Finally, he decided to use his healing energy to close the wound. A soft golden light emanated from his hand, sealing the injury little by little. Once he had recovered, Filiola crossed her arms and demanded answers.
"Well then, what happened? Where are the orcs?" she asked seriously.
Arios replied calmly:
"Someone came and saved us. They took care of the ogres and then left."
Filiola frowned, incredulous at the explanation. It seemed strange to her that someone would appear out of nowhere to save them, but what surprised her most was that the "weakling" prince had managed to face those monsters. After all, she had trained alongside him during the practice sessions supervised by her father, Andros. She had always noticed how clumsy Arios was in combat, unable to coordinate his movements properly.
However, before she could ask more questions, Arios spoke with a seriousness that completely disarmed her:
"We need to keep moving. We can't afford to waste any more time."
Filiola opened her mouth to protest, pointing out the obvious exhaustion on his face and the long night of riding they had already endured. But something in Arios's determined gaze left her speechless. She knew there was no time to rest, not while Kei was still in danger.
Without further discussion, they mounted the horse again. This time, Filiola took the reins firmly.
"I'm driving this time," she declared with authority, adjusting herself in the saddle.
They rode on until they finally spotted the next village. A large reinforced wooden gate loomed ahead, marking the entrance to the settlement. Before entering, Filiola retrieved her armor and carefully stored it in her dimensional space, ensuring they wouldn't draw attention. They couldn't risk revealing that she was a royal guard.
Arios, for his part, completely covered himself with a cloak and hood that concealed his face. He also placed a patch over his green eye to avoid being recognized by his distinctive trait: two eyes of different colors. Finally, he tied a bandana around his head to hide the purple streak that stood out among his blonde hair.
With their identities hidden, both crossed the village gate, ready to face whatever awaited them inside.
The guard at the entrance eyed them suspiciously as he asked for identification. Arios tensed slightly under his hood; obviously, he couldn't reveal that he was the prince, as he had disguised himself precisely to avoid drawing attention. Filiola remained silent as well, quickly searching her mind for an excuse.
Just as the silence began to grow uncomfortable, a friendly voice broke the tension:
"Relax, they're with me," said a man from a nearby cart, gesturing toward them with a carefree smile. Then, addressing Arios and Filiola, he added, "Vainilla, Musa, hop in quick—we don't have time to waste."
Both froze for a moment. How did this man know they needed help? However, they decided to play along and climbed into the cart without a word. The man quickly introduced himself: he was in his mid-thirties, with tousled brown hair and a kind expression that inspired instant trust. He wore a tattered, worn-out coat that looked like it had been pulled straight from the trash, though his demeanor suggested otherwise.
"My name's Artis," he said with a warm smile as he guided the cart into the village. "I'm not going to ask what you're running from or why you're here, but if you want to stay unnoticed, I recommend signing up at the adventurer's guild. It's the best place to start without raising suspicion."
Arios and Filiola exchanged a quick glance. Both wondered again why this stranger was helping them, but they decided to go along with it for now. The situation still seemed suspicious, especially since they didn't know Artis's true intentions.
Finally, they arrived at a large, bustling building—clearly the adventurer's guild. Upon entering, both stayed alert, prepared for any betrayal. However, seeing the lively environment filled with people busily checking mission boards and chatting animatedly, they felt perhaps their concerns were unfounded.
"The feeling of trust is mutual," Artis said, turning to them with a reassuring smile. Though both looked at him seriously, inside they still felt nervous and uneasy.
Without further ado, they decided to register at the guild using the fake names Artis had given them: "Vainilla" for Arios and "Musa" for Filiola. A friendly girl behind a counter took their information and explained everything about how the guild worked: how to select missions, the different ranks (from G to S), and the corresponding payments. As newcomers, they would start at the lowest rank, category G.
Upon receiving their guild cards, Artis couldn't help but chuckle a little.
"So, Vainilla and Musa, huh?" he commented, pointing at the cards with a teasing grin.
Arios, grateful but still wary, decided to speak:
"Thank you for helping us get into the city and with the registration. To be honest, though, we thought for a moment that maybe you'd do something to us."
Artis burst into laughter, shaking his head.
"Who do you think I am, kid? I'm no dirty villain—I'm an adventurer. I know it might've been reckless to follow a stranger out of nowhere, but I saw the desperation on your faces to get in and decided to lend a hand."
Filiola, always direct, chimed in with a raised eyebrow:
"Well, with that… peculiar outfit of yours, it did cross our minds that maybe you weren't entirely trustworthy."
Artis chuckled again, adjusting his coat with pride.
"This coat is great, you know? It's saved me from a lot of tough situations."
"Sure, if you say it's valuable, then it must be," Filiola responded with evident sarcasm. "It's just that your fashion sense is terrible."
Arios observed the exchange between them, though his mind was focused on something more important: finding clues that would lead him to Kei and achieving his goal as soon as possible. He knew every second counted, and although Artis seemed harmless, he couldn't afford to get too distracted.
Once they felt more at ease with Artis, they sat down at one of the guild's tables. Arios, in a low but firm voice, briefly explained their situation:
"We're looking for Rowar. We need to see that person immediately." He omitted any unnecessary details.
Artis raised an eyebrow, surprised by the mention of the name.
"Rowar? He's a great adventurer… If you're looking for him, you must have some serious trouble on your hands."
Filiola quickly interjected, trying to get concrete answers:
"Do you know him? Can you take us to him?"
Before Artis could respond, Arios shook his head.
"Rowar isn't someone you can just go looking for. He finds you when he wants to," he said, his voice tinged with obvious frustration. He didn't have time to wait for Rowar to appear; every second mattered if he wanted to save Kei. Artis noticed his impatience but decided not to ask further. He wasn't nosy, and he knew people only shared their problems if they wanted to. Besides, something about Arios's reserved demeanor told him he wasn't the type to easily trust a stranger.
"And speaking of which…" Filiola asked, changing the subject as she looked at Artis curiously, "What rank adventurer are you?"
Artis smiled modestly, evading the question.
"I don't like to boast about my rank or talk about it. I prefer to let my actions speak for themselves."
Before they could delve deeper into the conversation, a deep voice resonated behind them:
"There you are, Artis! I see you've got new companions… I thought you worked alone. Of course, always acting superior because you're an A-Class adventurer."
Everyone turned toward the newcomer. It was Shan, a burly man with an intimidating appearance vaguely reminiscent of a mobster. His mere presence generated fear among the nearby adventurers, who exchanged nervous glances as he approached.
"A-Class…" Arios and Filiola murmured in unison, surprised to discover Artis's rank.
Artis looked at him calmly, though his expression betrayed some discomfort.
"Oh, it's you, Shan. Another A-Class adventurer," he replied dryly, gesturing to the newcomers. "Yes, these are Vainilla and Musa. They just registered with the guild."
Shan redirected his attention to Arios and Filiola, examining them with disdain. His gaze lingered on Arios, whose eye patch caught his attention.
"What, trying to look tough, huh?" Shan remarked mockingly, pointing at Arios's eye patch with a sneer. Then, turning his gaze to Filiola, he scanned her up and down with blatant arrogance that made everyone uncomfortable. His eyes lingered a moment too long on her face before adding, "And you, girl… you're pretty hot."
Filiola frowned instantly, irritated by the tone and the way he was looking at her. Before she could respond, Shan continued with an arrogant voice:
"Why don't you join my group? Don't waste your time with these rookie losers. With me, you could go much further."
His words oozed excessive confidence, as if he were certain no one in their right mind would reject his offer. However, Filiola didn't flinch. She crossed her arms and looked him directly in the eyes, defiant.
"No, thanks," she responded coldly, turning toward Arios to show she wasn't interested in continuing the conversation.
Shan, feeling the mocking stares of the other adventurers after Filiola's rejection, let out a forced laugh before hardening his expression. Without warning, he pulled out a dagger and placed it directly against Arios's neck, who remained motionless, trying to stay calm.
"You were saying something, sweetheart," Shan said, pushing the dagger lightly against Arios's throat as he smirked cruelly.
Artis quickly stood up, attempting to intervene.
"Stop! We can't fight among adventurers. You know that's forbidden," he warned, extending a hand toward Shan.
But Shan completely ignored his words. His eyes remained fixed on Filiola, demanding an apology and her joining his group as compensation for the offense she had caused.
"Besides," Shan continued, now addressing Filiola, "as a Rank G, you should show respect to someone of a higher rank like me."
Filiola found herself in a dilemma. She knew she had to swallow her pride; she couldn't let Arios be in danger. Just as she was about to give in, something unexpected happened: the dagger at Arios's neck vanished from Shan's hands in the blink of an eye.
An authoritative voice resonated from the shadows:
"Fool. Fighting between adventurers is not tolerated. That's unacceptable."
Suddenly, everyone in the guild turned to a figure emerging from the shadows. They were completely covered by a black cloak that concealed every inch of their body, leaving only a mysterious glimmer under the dim light of the lamps. Most surprising of all was seeing that this person now held the dagger Shan had been using just moments ago.
"Well, it's a good dagger," the figure said calmly but authoritatively, examining the weapon with disinterest. "I'll keep it. It's not worthy of someone as clumsy as you."
Shan scowled, furious at the stranger's arrogance.
"Who the hell are you?! Do you want to fight?" Shan shouted, pointing aggressively at the figure.
Without waiting for a response, he and his henchmen unsheathed their swords, ready to attack the intruder. However, before they could take another step, the person let out a low, mocking laugh.
"You lot wouldn't even be worth the warm-up," they declared with disdain, their voice echoing like icy reverberations in the silence of the room.
In the blink of an eye, the five men collapsed unconscious on the floor, leaving everyone in the room unsure of exactly what had happened. The energy in the room shifted instantly, charged with awe and reverential fear.
"Poor losers," the hooded figure muttered, pocketing the dagger as they glanced indifferently at the fallen bodies.
Artis, who had been observing everything from the table, slowly stood up with an amused smile on his face.
"Guys, I think this is your lucky day," he said, turning to Arios and Filiola. "The person who just saved you is none other than Rowar."