"I knew you'd win," Julius said, casually brushing snow off his shoulder.
Zhou Rui smirked.
"Was there ever any doubt?"
The two sat near the edge of the training field, where the air was still crisp with leftover tension from the duel. The sun hung low behind the snowy mountains, casting a dull orange hue over the gray-stone ground.
Yu Zhen stepped forward, his long sleeves swaying gently in the breeze.
"That was a good fight, both of you," he said. "Friedrich Bauer, at the end of the day, you turned out to be weaker than Zhou Rui—but that doesn't mean I'm removing you from the party."
Friedrich, still catching his breath, looked up with disappointment.
"Then... Zhou Rui will lead the party, right?"
Yu Zhen calmly shook his head.
"Not really. Airu Koruto—you will lead the party."
Julius blinked, genuinely shocked.
"Wait, what!?"
Yu Zhen simply nodded.
"Yes, you will be the leader."
Julius sat forward.
"But Zhou Rui's the one who beat Friedrich!"
Yu Zhen smiled faintly.
"That doesn't mean he's stronger than you. Why don't you fight Zhou Rui and find out?"
Julius leaned back and waved a hand.
"No thanks. I'm not interested in fighting."
Yu Zhen pulled both hands from his sleeves and clapped them once.
"Then it's settled. Mr. Airu will lead the party."
Julius sighed, slumping into the fence.
"Great... By the way, where exactly are we supposed to stay?"
The group was still in the same field where the duel had taken place. Snow drifted lazily from the mountain slopes, and the dark-wooden homes of the village stood quietly in the distance.
Yu Zhen gave a content smile, eyes closed, hands disappearing back into his wide sleeves.
"If you'd like, you may stay at my house."
Both Julius and Zhou Rui tensed, exchanging a glance that said one thing clearly: this guy's a little too friendly.
"No thanks," they said in unison. "We'll just look for an inn or something."
Yu Zhen tilted his head.
"Oh? But there are no inns in this village."
Zhou Rui raised an eyebrow.
"Then where are Anna, Friedrich, and Heinrich staying?"
Heinrich, who had just finished stretching, turned and said,
"There was an empty house that belongs to one of the Chief's friends. He let us stay there."
Julius asked,
"Any other empty houses left?"
Yu Zhen gave a long sigh.
"No, unfortunately not. You'll have to stay with me. I live alone anyway—it'll be nice to have company for a change."
Zhou Rui thought for a moment before replying.
"You make a fair point. We still need detailed information about the dungeon, and only you can provide that. Fine, we'll stay with you."
Julius turned sharply.
"Wait—we? What do you mean we?"
Yu Zhen smiled warmly.
"Excellent. Mr. Friedrich, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Anna—please rest for the night. We'll meet at my house tomorrow morning at 8 a.m."
The three nodded and began to walk away. Anna smiled and waved goodbye to Zhou Rui and Julius.
Friedrich walked silently, his eyes downcast, clearly still brooding over the battle.
"It's okay, man," Heinrich said, placing a hand on Friedrich's shoulder. "That guy never saw your ultimate power. If you'd used it, Zhou Rui wouldn't have stood a chance. Besides, he came at you with everything right from the start."
Friedrich clenched his fists, his voice bitter.
"I'm not upset about losing. I'm upset because it happened in front of Anna. As a warrior, I can't let that slide. I'll settle this in the dungeon."
Behind them, Anna walked several meters behind, silent but clearly within earshot.
Back in Yu Zhen's home, the interior was warm and tidy. Dark wooden floors, soft wool rugs, and a faint scent of tea made the place feel far more homely than expected.
Julius and Zhou Rui were both sprawled across opposite couches in the living room, finally resting.
Outside, the snow continued to fall softly against the windows. Inside, silence hung comfortably between them—until Zhou Rui glanced over.
"You okay? Is it the pressure of being party leader?"
Julius didn't even open his eyes. His arms were behind his head, face drawn tight with tension.
"No... You wouldn't get it."
But in truth, his mind wasn't on the quest at all.
"Ever since the Vermillion Castle… I haven't slept even once with Saya and Serena. They're going to drink me dry the moment I let them out. ".
A bead of sweat rolled down Julius's temple.
And from his face alone—it was obvious that this wasn't just stress. It was doom.