Once again, Jan woke up with the same thought.
"This isn't my ceiling."
No matter how many nights he'd spent here, it still felt strange every time he opened his eyes.
After all, it wasn't just the bed that wasn't his. The room. The town. The whole world.
He still didn't feel like he belonged.
Jan shook his head.
'I have to get over it.'
His future might hold far stranger places than this. His mission was to climb a hundred floors, pass through a hundred towns.
'That's at least a hundred other beds before I get to sleep in mine again.'
A dry chuckle escaped his lips as he got dressed.
The gear looked cool enough to fit in a movie, but it wasn't just for show. It was reinforced, tough enough to turn aside a slash. Maybe even stop a stab.
"I should've bought something like this sooner," Jan muttered, remembering the night of the wave attack.
He exited his room and headed downstairs, ready to start the day with a proper meal.
"Oh—Maria?"
"Jan!" She smiled brightly. "You're up?"
"Yeah. I came to make breakfast."
"No need! You cooked dinner last night, so breakfast is on me."
"I don't mind helping—"
"No, no. You're our guest. Just sit and relax—I'll cook you something good!"
"Thanks." Jan rubbed the back of his neck. "Then I'll get my morning routine in while you're at it."
"Alright. I'll call you when it's ready!"
Jan stepped out into the backyard.
"Let's keep it simple this time."
No shadow training today. He didn't want to deal with Dark Rollo's antics. Besides, he didn't have much time—Maria was already in the kitchen.
Standing in the center of the quiet yard, he drew his new sword, and paused.
Last night, Maria had told him there would be a funeral this morning. She asked him to attend—said the townsfolk would appreciate it.
"Forty lives lost that night."
He hadn't known any of them. It might even sound like a small number considering the scale of the attack.
But that also meant there were forty grieving families in Valkeries.
He could've been one of the victims, or it could've been Rollo, Erza, Marcus—maybe even one of the girls.
The thought made his grip tighten.
"All I thought about after that night was how to get stronger."
Jan raised his sword.
And swung.
*Whoosh—*
"But what about them?"
*Whoosh—*
"They weren't just numbers."
*Whoosh—*
"Once I'm stronger… I won't be able to ignore it anymore."
*Whoosh—*
"In two months, there will be more casualties."
*Whoosh—*
"Erza, Rollo, and Marcus might not be back by then. But Saveth… he'll return."
*Whoosh—*
"Time's ticking… and I've barely made any progress."
*Whoosh—*
"What could I even do to protect them?"
He stopped.
His teeth clenched.
Sophia. Maria.
They'd be on the frontlines as well.
He sheathed his sword, his hands trembling slightly.
"Breakfast's ready!" Maria's voice called out.
"...I'm coming."
He turned back toward the inn.
'I have to protect them.'
"Sophia, Aeris!" Maria's voice rang from downstairs, sharp and impatient. "Come down already!"
"Yes…"
Sophia emerged first, rubbing one eye, followed closely by Aeris. Both were wearing matching pink sleeping robes, swaying side to side as they sleepily descended the stairs.
Jan was already seated at the table, watching them with mild amusement.
Maria's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she finished placing the last plate on the table. She looked distracted.
The spread looked incredible: freshly baked bread, boiled eggs, cheese, soup, and even a roasted chicken. It smelled divine. Of the two sisters, it was clear Maria had inherited their mother's cooking skills.
As the girls sat down, Jan gave a small smile.
"Looks like you two stayed up too late last night," he said.
"Hmph. They didn't even last an hour," Maria scoffed. "They act like this, but they slept more than I did."
"Well, your lamp kept me up," Sophia shot back. "The light was disturbing."
"Oh please. You were snoring!"
"I—I don't snore!"
"Actually, you do," Aeris added, rubbing her temples. "I barely slept thanks to you, Crispy."
"You snored too!" Sophia snapped.
"What?! I never—!" Aeris gasped.
The bickering resumed with full force.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Jan asked, glancing at Maria.
"That's perfect. They deserve it." She grinned, almost deviously.
"...You scare me sometimes."
"What was that?" She turned to him with wide eyes and a tidy smile.
"Nothing!" Jan coughed. "So… what were you doing so late, anyway?"
"Reading your book."
Jan's eyes lit up. "Did you find anything?!"
Maria shook her head. "No. Nothing about poison."
Jan slumped.
"Another wall, huh."
"Yes," Maria replied. "But I think you should just forget about that method anyway."
"What?!" Jan looked stunned. "Maria, please—listen. I'm really close."
"You said you already found your essence, right?"
"Yes! And I've figured out how to absorb Mana too. I'm getting closer—I know it!"
"Then you don't need that method anymore."
"I was about to say that too," Aeris chimed in, cutting off her bickering with Sophia. "Look, the hardest part is finding the essence. You already did that. Now it's just about control."
"Exactly," Maria nodded. "Once you can channel your Mana outward, you're officially a mage."
"Try meditation," Aeris added. "Do the elemental test again if it helps. But if none of that works, then maybe—maybe—we try the old guy's method one last time."
"No," Maria said firmly. "It won't work."
"Why are you so sure?" Aeris frowned.
"I just know."
"That's not an answer."
"You'll kill him."
"Excuse me?!" Aeris stood up slightly, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean 'I'll kill him?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
A sudden silence fell over the table.
"Guys…" Sophia's voice cut in gently. "Leaf, she doesn't mean it that way. Just trust Maria. She knows about this stuff. If she says it won't work, then it won't."
Aeris stood up, voice cold. "I'm going back to my room."
"Leaf!" Sophia followed, standing to go after her.
"Leave her," Maria said flatly.
"But—"
"Let her rest. We're leaving soon anyway, and she's not coming."
Jan turned to Maria. "I don't know what you two are talking about, but… I think you could've handled that better."
"I agree," Sophia added, already heading after Aeris. "I'll go check on her."
"Do whatever you want. Just don't be late—we're leaving soon," Maria said, standing up to clear the table.
Jan no longer felt hungry. He rose from his seat, and with only the two of them left, he turned to her.
"Tell me. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." She looked away.
"No. You're acting strange. Something's clearly wrong."
Maria paused mid-motion, then sighed deeply.
"I'm not sure... but I think she's sick."
"Sick?!"
***
It was worse than he expected.
The grieving. The sobbing. The silent fathers, the devastated wives, the crying children.
He didn't know any of them, but at some point, tears escaped his eyes anyway.
The pain was real.
It reminded him of Rollo—of how he must've felt, watching his wife and daughter being buried.
Sophia couldn't handle it and left as soon as she could.
Maria didn't have such luxury. As the princess of Valkeries and the acting leader, she stood at the center of it all.
She faced the crowd with a steady voice—offering words to the broken, strength to the uncertain, and hope to those left behind.
'She did her best.'
But the absence of the true leaders could be felt. The future was bleak in the eyes of the townsfolk.
In two months, another wave would come. More lives would be lost. More funerals would follow.
An endless loop of death.
And without their true guardians, that loop might end—with the end of Valkeries itself.
The mood was heavy. Almost suffocating.
But the funeral carried on. And as people started to leave, Jan approached Maria.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," she said, forcing a smile.
"You did very well today."
"Thank you." She lowered her head.
"Hey," Jan said gently. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."
She pressed her lips tightly, then nodded. "We will."
Jan left her with those words. It was still early in the morning, and for Maria, this was only the beginning. A whole day of tasks awaited her.
He'd only be in her way if he stayed. Besides, he had his own tasks.
First, he returned to the inn to gather all the items he'd collected so far. He wanted to check on Aeris too, but she wasn't there.
So, he headed to the next stop.
The library.
Basil was delighted to see him. He even offered him a cup of tea, but Jan politely declined. He quickly picked up two books and left.
"The book didn't mention anything about poison."
That's what Maria had told him.
She also mentioned that on the night they found Aeris in the sack, she'd sensed that something was off about her mana.
That sensation only grew stronger the longer she was around her, but that alone wasn't enough to confirm anything.
However, when Jan mentioned that he'd been poisoned, Maria had a hunch. One that didn't have anything to do with the ritual itself.
So she looked into it.
Loris Thorne hadn't mentioned poison in his writings. But he did note that if the master wasn't careful, their Mana could get mixed with the disciple's during the feeding process.
That could cause the ritual to fail.
Which explained why she said Aeris might kill him if they tried again.
Maria said Aeris was too skilled not to notice something was wrong with her own Mana—especially during the ritual. She looked genuinely exhausted. And that's why Maria was so harsh on her.
"She's in denial."
And that's the worst state a sick person can be in.
Because a person in denial refuses help… and only gets worse.
'I get it. But I still think she could've handled it better,' Jan thought.
As for what Aeris was actually suffering from?
Maria didn't know.
She'd tried to check on her while she was asleep last night. Her theory was confirmed—but she still couldn't tell what the illness was.
Her [Purify] skill had no effect.
And her [Identify] didn't reveal what was wrong with Aeris.
[Infected] is the only thing that showed—the condition was recent, still in its first phase.
Which could only mean one thing.
'Saveth is the one who infected her.'
Jan rubbed his temples. Bad things had been happening since the moment he opened his eyes today.
Maria told him not to worry, to focus on his training. She said she'd visit the church later to ask for help.
But still... he couldn't shake the feeling. He had to do something.
That's why he picked up two books:
"General Healing and Restoration"
and
"A Study of Elven Races and Their Affinities."
The only medical and elven-specific texts he could find in the library.
'I'll make sure to finish them during my shift.'
It was Sophia's turn to handle guild duties this morning, so Jan had to make the most of his time.
He opened the door.
"Welcome, Hero!"
"Hey, Archevin. I brought you some items."
"Put them on the counter—I'll take a look."
Jan walked in and dropped his backpack directly on the counter. It was still packed with loot from his last mission. Up until now, he hadn't known what to do with it, so it had just been sitting in his room.
"So…?" he asked.
"Not bad," Archevin said, inspecting the contents. "Some of these are a bit worn out, but a few are actually good—especially this one."
He held up the gem Jan had looted from the Eclipse Hare.
"I figured it might be worth something."
"Oh, it is. We can use it to enchant gear—decent quality, too. The effect might turn out pretty good."
"Really?"
"So, do you want to sell it? I'll give you 15g."
Jan paused, thinking it over. Then nodded. "Deal."
"Pleasure doing business with you, as always, Hero."
"I also wanted to ask about the mission." Jan pulled a flyer from his pocket. "Do you know where I can find this Sigil Stone you're looking for?"
"Yes. Bosses—they're the only monsters that drop them. Some can be found in the Endlesscape. But the drop isn't guaranteed, so you might need to hunt them more than once or check different regions."
"This might take longer than I thought…"
"Don't worry," Archevin said with a chuckle. "I'm not in a rush. Just bring the materials at least a week before the two-month deadline."
"You know about the two-month period?"
"Everyone does!" Archevin laughed. "Princess Maria instructed all store owners to start preparing for the next wave."
"Oh! That's fast."
"I wanted to do my part by forging something worthy of our Guardian."
"Guardian…?" Jan echoed, remembering what Darick had told him. "Me?!"
"Yes, you, Hero!" Archevin beamed. "I know you just picked up a new sword from my shop, but honestly? I don't think it's worthy of our Guardian."
"You're overestimating me, Archevin."
"Not at all. It's rare these days to see a Hero actually stay behind to protect people—especially in a low-floor town like ours. You're truly the Guardian of Valkeries."
Jan blinked, unsure what to say.
"So, yeah. If someone like you is willing to stand and fight for us, then the least I can do is make sure you've got the best sword I could craft. I insist."
"Fine, I guess I'll accept it," Jan said reluctantly.
"Good." Archevin nodded with satisfaction. "And if you want to wrap things up faster, try the Tower. You can find everything there too."
"The Tower?"
"Of course. But people say the bosses inside are much stronger. So be careful."
──────── Special Mission: Materials for the Craftsman (1/3) ──────────
Blacksmith Archevin seeks rare materials to forge gear worthy of heroes.
Difficulty: C~S
Requirement:
[Sigil Stone] ×1
Time Limit: None
Note: The quality of the final item will depend on the rarity of the materials collected.
Upon success, Archevin will request additional materials.
[Accept] [Decline]
────────────────────────────────────────────
"Alright, I'll do my best to deliver it today," Jan said, tapping [Accept].
"Even better, Hero," Archevin replied with a nod. Then he added, "But be careful. If you're heading to the Tower, you'd better buy some potions."
"That red liquid?"
"Yes. It's essential. You don't want to be caught unprepared."
"You have some here?"
"No, you'll have to look in the market."
"Alright, I'll make sure to pick some up. So how much is this?" Jan gestured to the items.
"I'll give you 10 gold for the rest."
'Not much… but not bad either.'
Jan took the money and slung his backpack over his shoulder.
Archevin watched him for a moment, then said, "Wait just a minute before you go, Hero."
Without explanation, he turned and disappeared into the back room.