Arin didn't go back to the training ground.
Not because he was afraid.
Because there was nothing left to learn there.
"…It works."
The thought kept repeating in his head as he walked through the streets.
Not loud.
Not exciting.
Just… steady.
His ability wasn't flashy. It didn't make him stronger. It didn't give him power.
But it showed him something no one else could see.
What was wrong.
And for the first time in his life—
That felt like enough.
---
He stopped near a small marketplace.
People were busy. Vendors shouting, coins clinking, life moving like nothing had changed.
For them, it hadn't.
For him—
Everything was different.
"…If I can see flaws," he muttered, "then I can fix them."
Simple.
Logical.
But there was a problem.
"…I can't fight."
That part hadn't changed.
Knowing what's wrong doesn't matter if you can't do anything about it.
He exhaled slowly.
"So I need someone who can."
---
It didn't take long to find one.
Or rather—
Someone who needed him just as much.
---
She was standing near the edge of the street, a little away from the crowd.
A staff in her hand.
A small bag by her side.
And a look on her face that Arin recognized immediately.
Frustration.
No—
Something deeper.
Rejection.
"Please, just give me one chance," she said.
The man in front of her shook his head.
"I told you already. We don't have time to babysit."
"I don't need babysitting. I just need—"
"You need a different path."
His voice wasn't cruel.
Just final.
"I'm E-rank," she said quickly. "My magic efficiency is high. I can—"
"Slow casting," the man cut in.
Silence.
"That's your problem, right?"
She didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
"Look," the man sighed, "we need speed. In real fights, hesitation gets people killed."
"I'm not hesitating—"
"Your magic is."
That ended it.
The man turned and walked away.
Just like that.
Another door closed.
---
Arin watched from a distance.
Didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just… observed.
The girl stood there for a few seconds.
Then tightened her grip on her staff.
"…I can fix it," she whispered to herself.
But there was no one left to hear it.
---
Arin stepped closer.
Not too fast.
Not too slow.
"Your casting isn't the problem."
She turned immediately.
Eyes sharp.
"…What?"
Up close, she looked tired.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Like she had said the same thing too many times and no one had listened.
Arin kept his voice calm.
"It's your timing."
She frowned.
"That's the same thing."
"No," he said. "It's not."
A pause.
She studied him.
"…And you are?"
"Arin."
"…Rank?"
There it was.
Of course.
"F."
Her expression changed instantly.
Not mocking.
Not amused.
Just… disappointed.
"…Right."
She turned away.
"I'm not in the mood for jokes."
"I'm not joking."
She stopped.
Didn't turn back.
"Then what do you want?"
Arin looked at her staff.
Focused.
The screen flickered.
[CASTING DELAY DETECTED]
[MANA FLOW: HIGH EFFICIENCY]
[OPTIMIZATION POSSIBLE]
"…You're wasting your strength," he said.
She slowly turned back.
"What?"
"Your magic is strong," Arin continued. "Stronger than most people here."
"…That's not funny."
"I'm not trying to be funny."
He met her eyes.
"You just use it at the wrong time."
Silence.
A longer one this time.
"…Explain," she said.
---
They moved to a quieter area.
Away from the noise.
Away from people.
Arin pointed to an open space.
"Show me your magic."
She hesitated.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
A few seconds passed.
Then she sighed.
"…Fine."
She stepped forward.
Raised her staff.
Closed her eyes.
Mana gathered slowly.
Too slowly.
Arin watched carefully.
The screen flickered.
Tracking.
Analyzing.
Then—
She released it.
A burst of light shot forward, hitting a distant wall.
Clean.
Precise.
Powerful.
But delayed.
"…See?" she said. "Too slow."
Arin shook his head.
"No."
She blinked.
"What?"
"It's not slow," he said.
"It's just… late."
She frowned.
"That's the same thing."
"No."
He stepped forward slightly.
"You start casting when you should already be finishing."
She froze.
"…What?"
"Start earlier," Arin said.
"Before the moment."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It will."
She stared at him.
Trying to decide if this was a waste of time.
Or something else.
"…One more time," she said.
---
This time—
She started sooner.
Before she was ready.
Before it felt right.
The mana built again.
Slow.
Steady.
And when she released it—
It hit faster.
Not because the magic changed.
Because the timing did.
She blinked.
"…That felt different."
Arin nodded.
"It's not about speed."
He looked at her directly.
"It's about when you begin."
Silence filled the space.
Not awkward.
Not heavy.
Just… quiet.
Processing.
"…Who are you?" she asked again.
Arin didn't answer immediately.
Because he didn't fully know either.
Not yet.
"…Someone who sees what's wrong," he said finally.
She stared at him.
Longer this time.
Then—
"…Lina."
"Lina?"
"My name."
Arin nodded.
"…Okay."
Another pause.
Then she spoke again.
"…If I fix this… I can join a guild."
"Maybe."
"And you?"
Arin looked away briefly.
Toward the city.
The guilds.
The system.
Then back at her.
"I'm not joining one."
She frowned.
"…Why?"
"Because they're wrong."
The answer came easily.
Too easily.
"And I'm going to prove it."
She didn't laugh.
Didn't argue.
Just… watched him.
Trying to understand.
"…You're serious," she said quietly.
"Yes."
Another silence.
Then—
"…What do you want from me?"
There it was.
The real question.
Arin met her gaze.
"Work with me."
"Doing what?"
"Fixing things."
"…That's not a plan."
"It's a start."
She hesitated.
Looked at her staff.
Then at him.
Then away.
"…If this doesn't work—"
"It will."
He didn't say it with confidence.
He said it like a fact.
And somehow—
That made it harder to ignore.
"…Fine," she said.
Arin blinked.
"…Fine?"
"One chance," she added quickly.
"If this fails, I'm done."
Arin nodded.
"That's enough."
---
They stood there for a moment.
Two people the world had already decided weren't good enough.
An F-rank.
And an E-rank.
Rejected.
Ignored.
Overlooked.
But something had changed.
Not in the world.
Not yet.
But here—
Between them—
Something had started.
---
As they walked back toward the city—
Neither of them noticed the man watching from a distance.
Standing in the shadow of a nearby building.
Arms crossed.
Eyes sharp.
"…F-rank," he murmured.
His gaze shifted to Lina.
Then back to Arin.
"…Interesting."