"Lord Tars, please do not hold it against her. Kanaya has barely had any rest these past few days because of me," Young Master Rodrigo said, clutching his head. Surprisingly, he was the first to fully regain his senses. He continued, "I was given certain elixirs by my family when I was a child; they likely provided some resistance."

  The red-haired woman gradually calmed herself. She looked left and right, then pressed her hand to her forehead to summon a vibrant emerald gemstone. The gem rose and fell as it circled her once, eventually coming to rest near her ear. As if it possessed a voice of its own, it began to whisper. She listened intently, her expression shifting rapidly, before waving the emerald gem away.

  Kanaya looked at Tars, let out a long sigh, and stepped forward.

  "Thank you, Lord Tars." She bowed respectfully and held the posture for a long moment before straightening up.

  "And thank you for your guidance," she added, tucking a lock of her long red hair behind her ear. "The way a Gem Summoner trains their mental energy is unique. I was too eager to contract more gems; I became irrational."

  Tars waved it off and went back to savoring the strange insect-milk tea.

  The camp seemed to return to normal. Rodrigo and Kanaya sat to one side in silence, while the mercenaries dismantled the tents. The men, oblivious to the deeper truth, looked at Tars with an even deeper shade of terror.

  The tents were soon packed away, and the two bug-carriages were brought forward. The group set off once again on the final leg of the return journey. The rhythmic creak-creak of the carriage remained as lulling as ever. Tars sat with his eyes half-closed, perfectly composed.

  Perhaps the book Rodrigo had found—the one from his ancestor regarding the ruins—had been left for him to find on purpose. Someone knew where his interests lay; perhaps the contents of the book were entirely fabricated.

  Frightened by the series of mishaps, the mercenary band, with their employer's consent, decided to push through the final stretch without stopping. Tars didn't mind; the prolonged swaying only made him want to sleep more.

  Dozing along the way, he felt the world outside growing brighter in his half-conscious state. It was an incredibly slow transition, so gradual that the shift from darkness to light felt entirely natural. At first, in his drowsy state, he didn't even notice.

  He opened his eyes. The mercenaries seemed tireless. The surrounding light had reached the intensity of a sunset. This was a rare sight in this world; vast stretches of land were clearly visible, down to the edges of ditches and minor details of the terrain.

  Some mercenaries began to tie strips of cloth over their eyes. It was said that those born and raised in the Abyss who wished to live in a Cavern City had to acquire an Eye-Opening Potion to help their eyes adapt to the light. Those who drank it were left with a circular mark around their pupils. Even if they became nobles or powerful supernatural practitioners, people would gossip maliciously behind their backs. Only when the second generation was born without the mark would the family be considered truly rooted and accepted by the Cavern City.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  The mercenary caravan slowed to a halt. A town was visible in the distance; it was time to part ways with these men who traded their lives for coin. Tars stepped down from the carriage, bidding farewell to the little insect, which was ill-suited for travel in the light. He watched the town bathed in the "sunset" while the master and servant completed their final business with the mercenaries.

  "Let's go, Lord Tars. It's getting dark. Let's find a place to rest in town. Thank you for accepting my invitation," the handsome youth said, stepping to his side.

  Tars snapped out of his reverie. His presence there, waiting to walk with them, was his answer. The mercenaries didn't even enter the town to rest; they fled as if escaping a plague, desperate to distance themselves from the young master of the Cavern City.

  The three of them walked slowly toward the sunlit town.

  "Lord Tars, please take this small token. Your appearance is quite unique; this might save you some trouble." Rodrigo handed over a metal badge engraved with a cluster of stars and a sword. "Wear this, and you are a guest of the Starry Family. It will help you avoid the foolishly reckless and the impolite." Rodrigo curled his lip. "The world has no shortage of such people. Believe me, even as a noble caster, you won't want to deal with them."

  "Thank you." Tars thanked the young master for his thoughtfulness and pinned the badge to his robe without hesitation. He noticed a flicker of envy in Kanaya's eyes when he accepted it.

  The roads in the town were paved with the same hard stone as those in the Abyss, but children could be seen running and playing. The vitality here far surpassed that of the Abyssal settlements. The people passing by were no longer exclusively fierce-looking, and the smell of the streets was slightly improved.

  Tars lowered his hood and twitched his ears, causing a chorus of gasps from nearby children. Some ran away in fright, while others followed him on little legs, trying to get a better look, until they were scooped up by apologetic parents. When people saw the crest on his chest, they moved aside in a panic. Ironically, he looked more imposing than Rodrigo, the actual noble.

  "Lord Tars, there's a very nice little tavern ahead. When I used to sneak out in the past, I would always sit there for a while." Rodrigo led the way, with the two casters following close behind.

  The young master seemed to have cast off his gloom; he was in high spirits, his step light. In Tars's view, the shadow over Rodrigo these past few days hadn't just been the failed expedition or the anticlimactic assassination—it had been the suspicion of those around him, or perhaps the distress of guessing their true identities.

  As the tavern came into view, the ground suddenly vibrated. Dozens of knights riding six-legged subterranean beasts charged from the town's main road. Kanaya tensed for a moment before gradually relaxing. Tars glanced at the youth beside him; seeing that he remained calm, he knew there was no danger.

  The leader of the knights surged ahead, reaching the street corner first. He yanked the reins, causing his mount to let out a low growl as it skidded to a halt.

  "Young Master Rodrigo, the Baron has sent me to escort you back."

  The knight's voice was meticulous, devoid of any hint of a question. His eyes, visible through the slit of his helmet, lingered significantly on Tars before shifting to the badge on his robe.

  In a dim room elsewhere.

  "I have been waiting for news from you." A young man's voice echoed in the room. His tone betrayed his dissatisfaction, yet his voice remained steady.

  "We did what we were supposed to do..."

  "So only my people died?"

  "Many of our followers also completed their path to redemption..."

  "I remember you promised that a Bishop would act. Could two Bishops not manage it?"

  "The two Bishops did not act. There was a wizard by his side—something you failed to mention. This is your error, and thus, your sin..."

  "A wizard? I once hanged an arrogant man who dared to offend me; he was also a wizard."

  "That is different. That was merely an ordinary wild wizard..."