Despite the city becoming the second capital, the overseer’s house remained the same. It was as if she deliberately kept it in such a miserable state to reduce the number of people who would visit her. Whether that was the case, Dallion couldn’t tell.

“They’re waiting for you,” the captain on the first floor said, looking up from his scroll.

Based on what his items told Dallion, their owner’s level was slightly higher, though the difference in abilities wasn’t that much greater.

“Thanks.” Made his way up the stairs. In the past, he would have asked whether there was anything to worry about. Given his close relations to both the overseer and the gorgon, he had nothing to worry about, especially since he was bringing good news.

Reaching the door, he knocked twice, then after a sufficient pause, opened it and stepped inside. The room was as dark as he remembered it. Thankfully, this time his perception level allowed him to make out everything better.

“Dallion,” the overseer said, sitting at her usual table. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come this week.”

Across from her, several snakes on the gorgon’s head turned in Dallion’s direction. Even without her ludicrous perception level, Eury was able to see quite well in darkness.

“Sorry, it was a bit more difficult than I expected.” Dallion made his way to the table. As he did, Eury shifted slightly to the side, creating enough space for him to sit next to her, which he did. “Were you expecting me?”

Several of the gorgon’s snakes twitched at the question.

“Euryale has been giving her report every day for a week now,” the overseer said.

That was a bit of a self-own, Vihrogon said. Not that I don’t admire the effort, but sometimes you really need to be a bit humbler.

The moment I get strong enough to improve you, I’ll beat you up, Dallion grumbled.

“The cult’s presence has almost vanished from the city, but there are still things happening that shouldn’t. The mirror pool and a few other players have been a bit too quiet, and yet dealings have continued just as before, despite the countess’ presence.”

Dallion didn’t have anything to add. He knew perfectly well what the general was doing. It wouldn’t be a surprise if others were involved. Despite his notoriety, the general wasn’t the only player in Nerosal, although sometimes he seemed to be.

“How did your hunt go?” the overseer suddenly changed the topic.

“Not as easy as expected,” Dallion said. “It wasn’t an avian that was causing the problem. It was a dragon’s shadow.”

Sounds of surprise and alarm filled the room, tingling in Dallion’s ears thanks to his music skills. Both were alarmed at his statement, though Euryale was outright frightened. Considering her opinion of his combat skills, it was normal that she would be worried, but there seemed to be more there. The fear wasn’t only related to him, it was as if she were worried about something far greater.

“Which dragon?” the overseer asked.

“Armalion. He was killed by some mage who just moved on.”

“The Academy likes to meddle with things almost as much as the Order,” the overseer said in a pensive tone. “Though what interest can they hold in the Priscord?”

“The county borders the unexplored on two sides,” Eury spoke for the first time. “East and south.”

“That’s true. Have you gotten any tasks in those directions?”

The gorgon shook her head. There was a long moment of silence. Even with the little Dallion knew about world politics, he was aware what a minefield the topic was. The Academy was considered one of the three great powers in the empire, if not the world itself. As often as they were referred to, though, little was actually known. They were powerful, they served the empire, though how and why remained unclear.

“Anything else?” The overseer turned towards Dallion. He could feel her eyes even behind the thick cloth that covered her entire face.

“There was a village of mages in the area,” he said after some hesitation. “They were doing research of some kind. They didn’t tell me what exactly.”

To his surprise, the overseer didn’t seem bothered by the fact. It was almost as if she has seen it all before.

“Best keep that to yourself. Other than that, well done. Had I known the creature you were facing, the reward would have been larger. Unfortunately, it’s the countess that determines the reward, so…”

She leaned forward, placing a large metal coin on the table. The coin was five ounces, made of a pure sky silver. In the past, Dallion wouldn’t have considered it much, but after finding how hard it was to scrape enough for his hammer head and his future emblem, he knew better.

“Consider it a taste of things to come.”

As the overseer said that, though, Dallion felt sadness coming from Eury. The gorgon was remarkably quiet, to the point one could almost say that she had been threatened not to talk. There was not a single trace of fear, however.

“I won’t be needing you for a while,” the overseer addressed the gorgon. “You’ll receive your payment in a few days.”

“I’ll pick it up later, along with the rest.” Eury stood up, marking that the meeting was over. As she did, Dallion felt compelled to do the same.

“The way things are going, it’s better that you collect everything you’re owed sooner rather than later. Even the countess might not be able to hold on to it forever.”

Dallion looked at the overseer, unsure whether he’d be asked to remain. In the end, he wasn’t, so followed Eury outside of the darkness. The captain on guard glanced up as the pair emerged. Acknowledging their presence, he did a quick gesture that could potentially pass as a salute, then went back to reading his scroll.

Just how important are you? Dallion wondered. Up to now, he had considered her nothing more than a skilled mercenary. As it turned out, she was a lot more than that. Personally, he wouldn’t be surprised if Euryale had as many connections among the nobles as did the general. Unlike him, though, she never tended to use them. Or was it that she did, but was just a lot more discreet about it?

The moment she stepped outside the house, a burst of emotions exploded from Euryale. Everything that she had bottled up during the meeting was now free. There was relief, sadness, fear, and more than a little bit of passion. Like parts of a melody, the emotions waxed and waned, telling a story, telling Dallion everything she wanted to say.

“You’re not wearing your ring,” Dallion whispered as they walked along the street.

“I know,” the gorgon whispered back.

Come to think of it, Dallion wasn’t asked to put on a blocker upon entering the overseer’s house, either. Before he could ask if there was a reason behind it, Eury took hold of his hand. There was a clear feeling of something metal between their palms. Dallion didn’t need to guess what he had just received.

“How does it feel?” the gorgon asked.

“Being a hunter?” Dallion tried to play it down. “Normal.”

“I felt anticlimactic when I got my apprentice emblem. All that training for such a simple task. My teacher found it amusing.”

After a few more steps, Eury let go of Dallion, leaving him to admire the much treasured emblem. It was a lot smaller than he imagined, though definitely distinct from any other emblems he had seen. While normal emblems—traveler’s, Order’s, or even belonging to a guild—were round, this one was spiked, almost like a snowflake with five of its sides partially broken off. It was made of fire bronze—one of the less valuable awakened metals, though quite rare in Nerosal.

This was it! This was the recognition that Dallion had worked so hard to achieve. Holding his breath, he took off the chain with his traveler’s emblem and replaced it with this.

“Keep your old emblem,” Eury advised. “It’s always nice to walk about when you’re not on the job.”

“I thought hunters didn’t rest.”

“Occasionally we do, and it’s better to be able to do so in peace.”

Understanding what she meant, Dallion put the old emblem in one of his belt pouches.

“So, how about a feast?” he asked. All that time in the wilderness had built up his appetite. “I know the perfect place to—"

“Going to Hannah’s isn’t a good idea,” Eury cut him short.

Oh, Dallion thought. This didn’t sound good.

“Another fight?”

“No,” the gorgon side. “This time it has nothing to do with me. Jiroh’s returned… and she’s found what she was looking for.”

After everything experienced in the last few weeks, Dallion didn’t think there could be anything capable of surprising him to such an extent. He was wrong. He had almost forgotten about the fury. The mere notion was absurd, given that she was the reason he had rushed to gain his apprentice status. The entire point was to have the skill and the emblem so he could be prepared for the trip to the cloud citadel.

“She’s leaving the inn for good,” Eury added. “And she also disbanded the hunter party. After this trip, the hunters of Nerosal won’t be a thing.”

The revelation came as a shock. The Nerosal group was the only one this far south in the empire. Most would go north to the more prosperous provinces, where prey was abundant, making the local group something of an oddity. That didn’t mean they were any less valued. With the exception of Dallion, each and every one of them was an initiate and a full hunter. Not only that, but both Eury and Jiroh were otherworlders.

“Hey, what’s with that expression?” Eury smiled, but Dallion could feel her sadness. “Things were drifting apart either way. Jiroh had lost the will to lead, and Largo was itching to have his turn. It was bound to happen.”

And it would still have hurt when it did, Dallion thought.

“Did she really find what she was looking for?” he asked.

“She seems to think so. Whatever happens, she’s made up her mind. She’s leaving the city, no matter what.”

Leaving the city, maybe leaving the world. Dallion’s cheer and enthusiasm of moments ago had evaporated completely. He’d always known this would happen, or at the very least suspected, but now that it had, it felt so unreal. As much as he tried to trick his mind into thinking that she was just going on a long journey home, part of him couldn’t accept it. Jiroh wasn’t going on a journey, she wasn’t even dying, she was vanishing from reality itself. As far as Dallion knew, he might not even remember her the moment she stepped out of this world. Maybe no one would. The scary part was he couldn’t decide whether that was going to be better or not.

“Hannah’s taking it hard. Jiroh and I were the first souls she saved…” Eury went on.

And unlike you, she stayed behind, helping the innkeeper, despite everything she was going through.

“We can feast, just not there.”

“Okay. Just give me a moment to wash.”

Time seemed to come to a crawl. Everyone in Dallion’s domain felt it too, for they remained silent. No matter what he tried, Dallion couldn’t get rid of the gloom that stuck to him like mist. It wasn’t heart wrenching, nor agonizingly painful, just always there, as if Dallion was always in an empty room, imagining past times.

How was Eury able to handle all that so easily? The sadness coming from her had vanished the moment they had entered the workshop. It was almost as if she had put all the emotions behind her, only briefly letting them slip when Dallion had asked.

Take it one day at a time, dear boy. In time, it’ll pass and things will be as before.

Cold, Nil.

Practical. Jiroh wasn’t the first to seek a way back to her home, she won’t be the last. Everyone else needs to find a purpose for the time spent here and stick to it.