Twin Shield Inn,

  Silverbrook,

  Western Province.

  ===

  The process of brewing West Province mead was delicate and dangerous. Even collecting the main ingredients was no trivial matter. The Arbot bees could kill a grown man with a single sting, yet people still risked their lives for their honey.

  Eric barely registered the board in front of him. His fingers rested against the cool wooden piece, but his mind wandered, floating somewhere between the warm haze of alcohol and half-finished thoughts about alcohol making.

  Someone cleared their throat.

  “Sir. Your turn.”

  Right, I am still playing.

  He moved seemingly without thinking as he put his rook in a vulnerable square.

  His opponent blinked twice, but without confirming anything, he took the rook with his piece. But unfortunately, it was a bait.

  With that move, Eric managed to orchestrate a series of forced trades that left his opponent's king in a weakened position.

  And three moves later, the king was trapped, and...

  "Checkmate"

  The man across from him swore under his breath, still in disbelief, as he had just lost the game in a few moves after he thought he was getting an advantage.

  Eric yawned.

  He hadn't been paying attention, not really. But he still won anyway. With another yawn, he pocketed the wagered coins from the table and stood, stretching as he left the table.

  Out of the corner of his eye, from the outside of the inn—

  A flash of dark blue.

  A woman in a passing crowd. The color of her dress caught in the light, just for a second.

  For a second, he was in deep thought, following the thought to where it led.

  That color. That exact shade. The temple. The girl.

  Last time he saw her, she was strapped to a stretcher and carried off in a rush. He never checked on her and never followed up. But honestly, why bother?

  Well to be fair, her father, mother, and brother are all gone, killed by Archy and Gideon.

  The inn noise swelled around him, loud and easy, very comfortable.

  "Stay, walk away, forget about it." He kept telling himself. Alas, he went to the door and went out.

  ---

  He bought fruit, something simple and safe, perfect for visiting someone sick. It felt like the right thing to do, though he couldn’t say why.

  The hired carriage ride was quiet until he reached the destination.

  Inside the apothecary, the moment he stepped past the entrance, regret hit him like a slow-building wave.

  I guess it's too late to back off.

  Eric reached the front desk and started asking. The process took forever, with descriptions, paperwork, and unnecessary questions, before they finally pointed him toward her room.

  His hand hovered over the door handle when he hesitated one more time.

  The door swung open before he could decide.

  A nurse stepped out, blinking when she saw him idly standing on the door. “Oh my, are you here for Erina?” A raised eyebrow. “Took you long enough.”

  Ahhh… so that’s her name.

  Eric forced a smile, rubbing his neck. “Yeah. I got caught up with work.”

  The nurse huffed but stepped aside. “She’s awake.”

  There she was.

  Erina sat by the window, chin resting on one hand, staring at nothing. She didn’t turn when Eric entered.

  The room smelled like herbs and linen as Eric set the fruit down on the table and sat in the chair beside her.

  Both were in silence for a while, long enough to make it awkward.

  Then, she finally opened up her voice, quiet but sharp. “You waited seven days.”

  Eric’s fingers tapped against his knee. "Yeah," he said. "Guess I did."

  A muscle twitched near her eyes. She finally looked at him. "Why?"

  He held her gaze, but he failed to answer.

  Something in her expression flickered. Disappointment? He wasn’t sure. Maybe she wasn’t, either.

  After a moment, she sighed and turned back to the window.

  “I’m not crying anymore,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m okay.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  A response hovered at the back of his throat. Something sharp, something easy, "Be grateful you’re even alive."

  But of course, he swallowed it down. Instead, he stood up and motioned her to follow him, " Let's go look for some fresh air."

  took her a moment before she finally pushed herself up while still keeping her pretend reluctance.

  ---

  They grabbed food from a small street-side eatery, grilled skewers, roasted nuts, and a small pouch of candied fruit, something cheap, fresh, and filling. Eric didn’t think too hard about what he picked next, and Erina didn’t argue.

  Well, mostly their conversation was limited. She mostly observed, chewing in silence, offering only the occasional nod or short response to his questions.

  Minute by minute, Eric navigated the conversation. He kept it simple, nothing that would set her off.

  They drifted through the narrow alleys of Silverbrook, weaving between stalls and carts selling everything from trinkets to travel supplies.

  The air smelled of fresh bread and spiced meat, layered over the distant scent of damp wood from last night’s rain. The chatter of merchants and townsfolk filled the streets.

  They passed another row of shops when—

  “Can I ask you something?” Erina’s voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it.

  Eric took a lazy bite of his skewer. “Sure.”

  “Can you help me kill them?”

  Eric didn’t stop walking. He just tilted his head slightly, as if he hadn’t heard her right. “Them?”

  Erina’s expression didn’t change. “The ones who killed my family.”

  Yep. She’s talking about Archy and Gideon.

  Eric exhaled, rolling the skewer between his fingers. “About that…”

  “What?” Her voice sharpened, words pressing in like a knife to the ribs. “You think I shouldn’t? That it wouldn't satisfy me?”

  She pressed him, not hard enough, but clearly she was getting angry.

  Eric barely budged, but the heat in her eyes made up for the lack of force.

  “You know that’s not what I mean.” He sighed. “Let me remind you—they beat my ass and almost took you out, too. So, tell me again—how exactly are you planning to exact your revenge?”

  “I’ll find a way.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He let the words hang between them, just long enough. “So what would be the first step to your grand plan?”

  No answer.

  “That’s what I thought.” He scoffed.

  Erina’s fingers twitched slightly, curling into fists.

  Eric cleared his throat. “Listen, I’m just try—Aaahhh—what the—”

  She sank her teeth into his right arm. He tried jerking back instantly, but she held it firm.

  For a few seconds, he just took it, with the pain and all.

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Not an apology, she was just checking how much it hurt.

  She huffed smugly and walked ahead without looking back. Only when Eric didn't move, she yelled back at him.

  ---

  At the square, a flock of small birds pecked at the cobblestones. Erina watched them for a moment before stepping forward, crouching slightly, then lunging.

  The birds scattered instantly.

  She huffed, brushing off her sleeves. “Tch.”

  Eric raised an eyebrow. “What, you thought you’d catch one?”

  “…No.” She glanced at him, then at the empty ground where the birds had been. “Just wanted to try.”

  For a second, she looked almost normal—almost like a normal young girl, not someone carrying a storm behind her eyes.

  “So how do you plan to continue?” he asked, keeping his tone light.

  She exhaled, voice steady but distant. “Let me think. My entire family is dead, so… nothing. I only have the house, which—” She hesitated. “—which obviously is very scary to live in alone. But you know, life goes on.”

  Eric said nothing and kept looking at the sky for a while. He kept humming some unrecognizable rhythm while rubbing the bite mark, which clearly hurt to even touch. But he kept doing it anyway.

  “Let me see your hand.” He said suddenly.

  “What?”

  “Your hand.” He held out his own.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

  “Just humor me, please.”

  She didn't complain and held out her hand.

  He summoned a circular device, a simple mana detection rune that had some sort of meter in the center. He placed it on her palm and watched it carefully as her mana responded immediately. The rune gradually lit up to the maximum capacity of the meter.

  Erina, not knowing what was happening, was silent as if being hypnotized by the bright light.

  His thumb brushed the edge of the rune before he let the glow fade. "Interesting."

  Eric leaned back, rubbing his chin. He would've never considered bringing her along, but now, this confirmed that she could be of some use in the guild.

  He could have told her then. Could have said, Come with me. Train properly. You don’t have to be alone.

  Instead, he just smirked. Something still held him back from committing. "There's no need to complicate for now. Let's just focus on them."

  “Not bad.” He dropped her hand. “Guess you’re not completely hopeless.”

  Erina scoffed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” He stood up, stretching. “Come on. Let’s keep moving.”

  ---

  Night settled over Silverbrook when they approached her house.

  Erina’s house stood dark and still, untouched for days, silent in a way that pressed against the skin.

  Eric was still watching as she made her way into the house.

  She hesitated at the steps.

  “Goodnight,” she murmured, voice quieter than usual.

  Eric caught the way her fingers tightened at her sides. Like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t. Like she was waiting—hoping—for him to stop her.

  She turned toward the door.

  Eric exhaled through his nose. Ahh fuck it, I guess my foster kids have a new sister now.

  “Hey, Erina,” he called. “Can I ask something?”

  She stopped immediately, like she had been expecting it.

  “Come with me.” He kept his voice light, but not joking. “To my guild.”

  She turned halfway, watching him.

  “Why?”

  “Well…” He shrugged. "You've got a potential, Kid. You have a decent mana reserve. Forget about them for now, get stronger first. My guild can show you the way."

  “Forget about them? But why?”

  “Do you accept my offer, or do you wanna continue living alone?”

  “I—” Erina’s fingers curled slightly. “I don’t know.”

  Of course, she didn’t. He wouldn’t either, if he were her.

  He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Listen, I’m not gonna force you. Follow me if you want. No pressure.”

  He started waking.

  “Eric, wait…” Her voice was quiet.

  She ran at him, tumbling and falling before reaching him. “Ouch... I can't move.”

  “What?”

  “My legs, they hurt. We've been walking for a day after I didn't walk for a week.”

  She sniffed, rubbing at her nose.

  He exhaled, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”

  Still, he crouched down. "Let's go, we'll spend the night in the Twin Shield Inn, and we'll go back to the guild tomorrow."

  She climbed onto his back, arms draping over his shoulders.

  “…Thanks,” she muttered, barely above a whisper.

  -