Asthia's voice stayed in the cold air, sharp and clear. Behind them, the fake cave entrance groaned as the wind passed through.
[System Alert: New Mission – Uncover the Crystal Conspiracy]
Main Goal: Find out why the mana crystal vein is important—and who's hiding it.
Side Goal: Avoid Redhill guards. Find proof without fighting.
Reward: 60 EXP, Threat Perception Lv. 3, +4% Loyalty with Commander Asthia
Failure: Get caught by Redhill. Bounty rises to 75,000 crowns. System penalty applies.
Reth shifted on his feet and looked at the cave, then toward the far-off lights of Redhill. The glowing walls looked closer than they were. The system alert still rang in his head.
He breathed out, his breath turning to mist.
"So… do we report this? Let the capital take care of it?"
His voice was flat. He already knew the answer.
Asthia shook her head.
"No. Crystals this pure are rare. If we give them to the nobles, they'll waste it."
Reth raised an eyebrow.
"Waste? Smuggling something this rare usually ends with a hanging."
He rubbed his eyes, exhausted. The system still hovered in his sight, tempting him.
He let out a dry chuckle.
"Sounds like you've been thinking about this for a while."
She didn't deny it.
"I've been watching Redhill fall apart for years. This is our chance to change something."
Reth looked back at the cave. He could still feel the soft hum of mana coming from the stone. It felt important. Too important to walk away from.
Then the wind changed—sudden and sharp.
His instincts screamed a warning.
There was a blur of movement—then a hard thud. Asthia stumbled as a guard lunged at her from the rocks. He wasn't unconscious like they thought. His helmet was loose, dried blood on his face. His eyes were wild, a blade in his hand.
Reth didn't wait.
His sword was out in one clean motion.
A flash of metal. A sharp crack.
The guard hit the ground without a sound.
Only Asthia's sharp breath broke the silence.
"Damn it," Reth muttered, dropping to his knees beside her. "Where?"
"My foot," she whispered through clenched teeth.
Reth looked. Her ankle was already swelling.
He swore under his breath and looked around for danger. The air was cold, but the threat felt hot and close.
She didn't complain, but he could see the pain in her eyes.
"We need to move," he said. "You can't walk far like that."
"I can walk," she said, jaw tight.
"You shouldn't." He crouched down and gently picked her up.
"Reth—put me down. I'm not cargo."
Her voice was sharp. Her hands gripped his shoulders, not out of trust—just pure pride.
He kept walking anyway."Yeah, well, you're not walking on that ankle either. So deal with it."
He paused, then added with a small smile,"I mean, you helped me once, remember? Wrapped your dress cloth around my head when I was bleeding. Letting me carry you now—that's not such a big deal, right? Princess?"
She didn't answer. But her grip tightened a little.
He kept moving, boots crunching quietly on the ground.
"Look," he said softly, "you helped me before. This is just me helping back. That's what partners do. Right, Princess?"
Still no answer.
She rested her head lightly on his shoulder. Her breath warmed the side of his neck. No sarcasm. No insults.
Just silence.
A long pause passed.
Then she finally spoke, her voice soft and tired.
"We can't go through the front gates."
Reth frowned.
"Because of your foot?"
"No," she said. "Because we beat up the City Lord's son."
Reth blinked.
"Oh. Right."
She sighed.
"You broke his nose. Right in front of his guards."
Reth winced.
"So… not exactly a clean getaway."
"No," she said. "They'll be looking for us. The gates will be locked down. Extra patrols, too."
Reth shifted her carefully, trying not to hurt her.
"So what now? Climb the walls?"
Asthia shook her head.
"Sewers."
Reth stopped in his tracks.
"Wait—really?"
"Yes. There's a hidden entrance near the north wall. Elenya showed me a map once."
He sighed.
"You nobles really think of everything, huh?"
She let out a short, tired laugh.
"It's not planning. It's surviving."
Reth started walking again. The wind had calmed.
"I'm guessing these sewers aren't clean and cozy."
"No," she said. "But it's the only way in without getting caught."
Reth muttered,
"Perfect. From freezing to filthy. Just my kind of night."
She didn't say anything, but he could feel her relax a little on his back. Less tense. Less guarded.
"North wall, right?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Half a mile. Near the broken statue."
"Got it," he said. "Let's go meet the rats."
The forest began to thin out. The wind slowed. Reth's breathing eased as they got closer to the edge of the ridge. Asthia hadn't said a word in a while.
Her grip had loosened.
Her head leaned gently against his back, eyes half-closed.
The quiet steps. The soft rhythm. It pulled her somewhere far away—into an old memory.
She was a little girl again.
She was riding on someone's back—taller, stronger than Reth. The world felt big and high from up there. The air was warm. Not cold like Redhill. Somewhere far away from pain and war.
She didn't remember much. Not the face. Not the place.
Only the feeling.
Safe.
She rested her head against a back that felt strong and steady. A soft tune hummed from the chest below her ear. No words, just a song. The voice speaking to her was calm, but the words were faded and far away.
She tried to hold tighter, but her tiny arms barely reached.
She couldn't see the face—only a shoulder, and the smell of old books and flowers.
Lavender. And something like paper.
And the light…
It was golden. Like the end of a long summer day.
And for a moment—just one—she remembered what peace felt like.
She blinked as the memory faded, and the cold returned. Reth shifted slightly, adjusting her weight on his back.
"You alright?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," she said softly. Then after a pause, "Just… thinking."
He didn't ask what about. He just kept walking.
Ahead of them, hidden in weeds and shadows, the broken statue came into view. Just like she said.
And behind them, everything else—Redhill, the fight, the crystal vein—felt far away for a little while.