With Evan defeated and killed after his transformation into a Starfiend, their mission had finally come to an end. Yet Alwyn couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease. He would have preferred to speak with Evan first, to understand what had truly driven him to such a reckless plan. His instincts told him something didn't add up, but Evan was already gone, reduced to nothing but ashes.
Still, they had found a record book he left behind, filled with personal thoughts. A small mercy.
While Erika busied herself pocketing the money she insisted she'd earned, and Han wandered through the hideout inspecting the strange items scattered around, Alwyn sat down with the damaged book. Many of its pages were torn or barely legible. As he read, he noticed how Evan's writing had grown increasingly jumbled and incoherent over time. The most drastic change had occurred just a few weeks ago, though hints of his unraveling had begun months earlier.
Alwyn narrowed his eyes as he flipped through the entries. He decided to keep the book for himself and speak to Auren about what he had discovered.
Once Erika finished collecting the extra fees she claimed to be entitled to, the group returned to the village. At the village head's house, they found Auren sitting across from two elderly villagers. Gareth and his wife were sobbing uncontrollably, no doubt after learning the truth from Auren that their beloved grandson had been the culprit all along.
"I-It can't be! Not my dear Evan!" the grandmother cried.
"He's innocent! He's such a well-mannered young boy!" Gareth added.
Both of them looked completely in denial. Neither could accept what Auren was telling them. Their grief pushed them to speak out so boldly, something they would never have dared to do under normal circumstances to a member of the Starvanguard.
"Well, unfortunately, that is the truth," Auren said, then glanced at the group. "Did you find anything useful?"
"I found this," Alwyn replied, pulling out the diary he had discovered in the hideout. He opened the book and began reading the entries he had marked.
"Twelfth Moon, Fifteenth Sun: 'I've decided to carry out my plan. It's risky, but with how strong I've become, I know I can do it.'
First Moon, Fifth Sun: 'Nobody even suspects me. I never imagined everyone here would be such fools.'
Fifth Moon, Ninetieth Sun: 'I took care of Alric.'
There are more if you want me to keep reading."
"No, no, no, it's lies! Lies!" the grandmother sobbed miserably.
She could still recall the days when Evan was small enough to carry in her arms. After his mother died during childbirth and his father passed away several years later, she and her husband had poured all their love into raising their grandson. Evan was their treasure. There was no way he could have—
Auren let out a tired sigh and pulled a sack from his spatial pocket, setting it lightly on the low table.
"That's what's left of Evan. You can check it if you want, though I doubt you'll recognize anything in that pile of ashes."
The couple jolted, their faces paling as they heard Auren's words. Their eyes locked onto the sack resting on the table. It wasn't particularly large, which made them silently question whether it could truly contain the remains of their beloved grandson. Yet neither of them could bring themselves to look inside.
"Please remember that you are not yet in the clear, Mister Gareth," Auren said. "I've already informed headquarters about the situation. We'll remain here until the next warden and other officials arrive to take over. I suggest you avoid causing trouble. I would hate to amend my report."
It was a veiled threat, and Gareth understood it well. The old man could only lower his gaze, wondering how everything had come to this.
The group decided to leave the couple to grieve in silence and made their way back to the inn. Along the path, eyes followed them, no longer with curiosity but with wariness. Even from a distance, the villagers had heard the sounds of battle echoing through the air. They knew something had happened.
When Auren returned, he stated plainly that the culprit had been apprehended. Or more accurately, dealt with. The truth that Evan, the village head's grandson, had been behind everything was difficult for anyone to accept.
They had known him well, after all.
But unlike the grieving grandparents, the rest of the villagers knew better than to question Auren openly. All they could do was quietly come to terms with the news.
While Han and Erika retired to their room to rest, Alwyn stayed behind to speak with Auren.
Back at the inn, Auren traced a rune of silence on the door before turning to face him.
"You look like something's bothering you."
Alwyn gave a weary nod. "Something just doesn't sit right. I still can't believe anyone would be that reckless, pretending to be an Elder Starfiend just to rob people..."
"You'd be surprised how many fools walk this world," Auren replied with a shrug. "But I did find something interesting among what little was left of our poor, burnt to ashes Evan."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small black shard, placing it in Alwyn's hand.
Alwyn's expression darkened the moment he touched it. He could feel the familiar presence of Starfiend aether radiating from it. One could argue it was just residue from Evan himself, who had been infected and transformed, but the aura clinging to this shard felt different.
"Any idea what it is?" Auren asked. "I was standing a bit farther away, but I noticed a strange marking on Evan's chest. This might be the remains of whatever was embedded there."
Alwyn shook his head. He had never seen anything like it. Not in this life, and not in his previous one. He was sure he would have remembered something so strange and unsettling. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not come up with an answer.
Had the timeline already shifted?
He had chosen to run away instead of staying by his father's side, but could that small change really have caused such a significant ripple already?
"Hmm, that's interesting," Auren said, though he didn't look surprised by Alwyn's answer. "Whatever it is, I assume it's the reason Evan thought his plan was a good idea. So we can assume this artifact also affected his psyche. His Aether Art was unusually strong for someone with no teachings or guidance. And there's also the fact that he transformed so quickly, even though the process normally takes at least a week."
"We'll need to keep an eye on this," Alwyn muttered, his expression darkening. He couldn't help but wonder if his father had something to do with it. More than ever, he wished Evan were still alive so he could question him about how he had acquired such a dark artifact.
"Welp, just shelf it for now. There's nothing we can do at this point anyway," Auren said, looking relaxed despite the mystery before them.
Alwyn wanted to think it over more, but he knew there wasn't much he could do besides frustrate himself. They simply didn't know enough.
The group stayed in the village for several more days while they waited for the other Starvanguards and the new Warden to arrive. When the day finally came, Auren spoke with the arriving officers. Although he had written everything important in his report, they insisted on hearing it directly from him. As annoyed and lazy as he was, he knew he couldn't hand this duty off to his disciples, so he resigned himself to dealing with the other Starvanguards.
Meanwhile, Erika had roped Alwyn into helping her pack, which she had forgotten to do the day before. That left Han and Mira waiting quietly in the carriage.
The silence between them stretched uncomfortably.
"Ah… um… thank you for allowing me to tag along…" Mira said, fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Even though the incident had been cleared up and proven not to be her fault, the villagers still didn't look kindly on her. After word spread that she had ventured into the Wastes, they grew even more distant, afraid of catching something from the so-called cursed girl. While she could have remained in the village, Erika had suggested she try joining the Starvanguard. She wouldn't be a regular officer sent into battle, but her ability might prove useful to the research division. The offer had taken her by surprise, but after mulling it over for several days, she accepted. Perhaps it was finally time to step out of her small, isolated life.
"You should say that to Master," Han replied plainly.
"Ah… I see…" Mira murmured, her voice faltering at his cold tone. She had thought he might have softened toward her, even just a little, but it seemed she was mistaken. He was still distant, still aloof.
Silence settled between them again.
"Um… I don't think I ever thanked you for saving me," she said quietly.
"No need," Han replied. "I was just doing my duty as a Starvanguard. And I wasn't the only one who helped you."
"O-okay then…"
Mira still wasn't sure how to act around Han. He had been cold toward her from the beginning, yet he had also stood up to protect her from Evan. Even now, it was clear he wasn't especially fond of her. In the end, she could only honor his desire for peace by staying quiet.
When everyone was finally ready, the group departed Hollowrest and made their way back to Windale. The journey was calm and uneventful. Upon arriving at the city, Erika volunteered to escort Mira to the Starvanguard branch.
As they walked through the bustling streets, Mira couldn't help but stare in awe. It was her first time visiting a city like this. The noise, the people, the towering buildings were overwhelming and wonderful. Life pulsed through every street corner, and wealth seemed to shine in every shop window.
Once they neared the Starvanguard building, Erika handed Mira a letter.
"This is…?" Mira asked, staring at the plain envelope. There were no markings on it, nothing to indicate what was inside.
"Just something to smooth things over in case you run into any troublesome people," Erika said. "You better be grateful. It took quite a bit of effort to get that lazy bag of bones we call a teacher to write it. 'I already wrote so many reports, Erika… Why are you bossing me around, Erika… Who's the master here, Erika…' Che. As if writing a dumb letter is too much work for him."
"Ah… uh…" Mira blinked in surprise, overwhelmed by the kindness. "Thank you. But… why go so far for me?" They had only just met. There was nothing that should have compelled Erika or the others to help her as much as they had. Just listening to her and offering protection had already been more than enough.
"Don't think too much about it," Erika said. "I just hate seeing people like them."
She didn't offer any more explanation and turned to leave. Mira watched her go, then raised her voice just before Erika vanished into the crowd.
"Thank you so much! I won't forget your kindness!"
Erika didn't look back.
Back at the house, Auren was dozing on the sofa with a book draped over his face. After spending several weeks near him, Han had grown used to his master's laziness and wasn't as intimidated as before.
"Master, what's our next mission?" Han asked.
Auren grunted and lifted the book off his face. "What, you're not tired? Sorry, but this master is too old to take on mission after mission. If you've got energy to spare, go bother Alwyn for a spar."
Han pouted. It wasn't that he disliked sparring with Alwyn, but it felt different from having an actual mission to complete. That sense of having nothing to move toward made him restless. It was like drifting without an anchor, without direction.
Noticing his sullen expression, Auren sighed. "Fine, I'll think about it. Still, I'm a bit surprised you didn't go through with your plan to kill Mira. What changed your mind?"
Han blinked and pursed his lips. "Um... I'm not really sure. You did tell me not to make decisions I'd regret. I still think not keeping an eye on Mira might be a mistake, but I guess it's fine. She's joining the Starvanguard now, so there'll be more eyes on her if she ever transforms."
Auren watched him for several long seconds before asking, "You seem to have a deep hatred for the Starfiends. Is there something you're not telling me?"
Han shook his head. "No. The Starfiends are bad, right? What's wrong with wanting to wipe them out?"
It wasn't an unusual sentiment. Plenty of people hated the Starfiends for what they had done to the world. But Han wasn't from this world. He shouldn't have any personal history with them, and yet, he reacted with instinctive hostility toward anyone even slightly touched by infection. That kind of hatred didn't just appear out of nowhere. Still, when Auren looked into the boy's innocent, unknowing eyes, he knew pushing further wouldn't get him anywhere.
"You're not wrong," Auren said slowly. "But it's important to make decisions with logic, not just emotion."
He was parroting one of those dull old sayings he'd read in some book. Truthfully, he was much better at preaching than practicing. A few memories of his own reckless choices bubbled up, but he shoved them aside.
Stretching out with a yawn, Auren waved him off. "Alright, now quit bothering me. If I think of something useful for you to do, I'll let you know. Go pester Alwyn in the meantime."
Han frowned at the response but didn't argue. With a pout, he turned away, leaving Auren to drift into another restless nap.