After carefully bandaging his burns, the young woman gently slipped Veil’s shoes back on. He winced as the fabric brushed his wounds, though the liquid she’d applied had dulled the worst of the pain. She then turned to his hand, repeating the process with quiet focus, wrinkling her nose at the strong, acrid scent of the medicine.

  “If that smell really bothers you, I can do it myself, you know. You don’t have to force yourself,” he said, noticing her discomfort.

  The young woman ignored his words, finishing the bandage before meeting his gaze.

  “Thank you. For coming to help me. I screamed without really expecting anyone to hear... This forest is isolated, and rookie adventurers aren’t supposed to come this far,” she murmured softly.

  “You’re lucky I happened to be nearby. I was crossing the field on the other side,” Veil replied, his eyes resting on her in turn.

  Her face was strangely captivating—soft features framed by pale strands of hair. Her eyes, a delicate shade of rose, gleamed faintly as she tried to fix her hair with a few awkward motions. She clipped in a small barrette adorned with dark red roses.

  “Sorry, but it’s a little uncomfortable when you stare like that,” she said, glancing away.

  Realizing he had been looking at her for too long, Veil quickly averted his eyes and pushed himself up, testing his leg to make sure his injuries wouldn’t hinder him.

  “Sorry… Let’s just say it’s been a rough day, and seeing something other than a nightmare feels... refreshing,” he said quietly.

  The young woman’s lips parted, unsure how to respond.

  “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to take that. Was that a compliment, or are you saying I’m ‘not as bad as the monsters’?” she asked, visibly puzzled.

  Veil blinked, realizing how his words could have sounded.

  “No—no, that’s not what I meant. I just meant it’s nice to see someone human again, not a creature trying to eat everything in sight…” he stammered, running a hand through his hair.

  Nice one, idiot. The more you talk, the worse it gets. How the hell do you make someone understand without sounding like a complete moron? he thought bitterly.

  “If that’s your idea of charming a woman, I’m guessing you don’t have a girlfriend, huh?” she said with a small laugh. “But don’t worry, I think I got what you were trying to say… even if it came out pretty clumsy.”

  Veil dropped his shoulders and exhaled, accepting defeat.

  “Thanks... but, uh—if you don’t mind me asking, are you an adventurer too?” he asked quickly, eager to change the subject.

  The young woman rummaged through one of her small pouches and pulled out a card, handing it to him. Veil glanced at the information written on it: her name was Kaela, ranked E.

  “Yeah, I know… Rank E, and I couldn’t even defend myself against that thing. Pretty pathetic, huh? But I’d never encountered anything like that before,” she said softly. “Still, judging by how easily you handled it, you must be way above me.”

  Veil returned her card, then reached into his own satchel and pulled out his adventurer card, handing it over somewhat sheepishly. Kaela took it—and her eyes widened the moment she saw what was written.

  “Rank F? Seriously?? Now I just feel even more useless... Maybe I’m just not cut out for this job,” she said, her tone dropping in disappointment.

  Veil stepped closer and rested a hand on her shoulder. Kaela lifted her head to meet his gaze.

  “Don’t say that. I’m not that strong. I couldn’t even save a little dog… I watched it die. If I managed to take down that thing, it’s only because before becoming an adventurer, I’d already seen worse… or at least, I thought I had—until I saw those little blue blobs,” Veil said, his voice tightening toward the end.

  “Little blue blobs? You mean slimes? Those things are adorable, but they’re sneaky little devils if you’re not careful. They’ll eat anything they can find. That’s why people keep their population in check—otherwise, we’d have a rolling disaster on our hands,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The first time I saw one, I actually wondered if they were edible. I strongly advise against trying.”

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  She walked away from him, retrieving her sword from the ground, then moved toward another spot. Veil hadn’t noticed it before, but she picked up a staff—oddly carved, with a polished gem gleaming faintly at its tip.

  “What’s that? I’ve never seen one like it,” Veil asked, pointing at the staff.

  “This? It’s for magic. I have an affinity with earth, but it’s weak, so I use this staff. It absorbs my mana, and the stone amplifies my spells. But I’m still learning, so my control’s… not great,” she explained, holding it out for him to see.

  Veil took the staff, studying the intricate carvings as the last traces of sunlight began to fade. He handed it back to Kaela with a nod.

  “If you’ve got nothing else to do, we should head back to town. I’ve had enough of today... and a bed sounds pretty good right now,” Veil said.

  Kaela nodded in agreement, sheathed her sword, and watched as Veil tucked his dagger into his satchel. Together, they started down the road to Aldelion, the dying glow of the sun giving way to a soft wash of moonlight. The clear sky slowly filled with stars, one by one.

  On the way, they exchanged stories—about missions, strange encounters, and life in the city. Veil made sure to avoid certain details, following Alynia’s warning to the letter.

  After nearly an hour of walking, a cool breeze brushed through the trees as they finally reached Aldelion’s gates.

  The guard, as usual, checked their papers, then waved them through with little more than a nod. They made their way toward the guild, though Kaela didn’t seem in any hurry. She paused now and then in front of shop windows, her curiosity lighting up her face.

  “Hmmm… I wonder if they’d make custom clothes for me. You know, being half-human’s nice sometimes, but when it comes to clothing, it’s a nightmare. One time, when I tried to buy a pair of pants, a merchant told me I should just cut off my tail,” she said with a sigh, brushing her long pink tail with one hand.

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Some people don’t take well to anything ‘different,’” Veil replied, remembering the way people had stared at him when he’d first arrived in town—torn clothes and all.

  After several more stops, they finally reached the guild, the building unusually quiet for the hour.

  “Ah, there’s Zenyel. I’ll go report my quest,” she said cheerfully.

  “I’ll head over there. Guess this is where we part ways. Maybe we’ll run into each other again—preferably without a monster trying to kill us,” Veil said with a small laugh.

  At those words, Kaela flushed slightly, her foot tracing circles on the floor as she looked down, shy.

  “Um… would you maybe like to grab something to eat later? To thank you for saving me. And… well, it’s nice talking with you, Veil. I don’t get that a lot,” she asked timidly.

  Veil froze, caught completely off guard. He opened his mouth, but no answer came out.

  “Hey, lovebirds! Move it already—you’re not the only ones here!” a gruff voice barked from behind them.

  Kaela stumbled back in surprise, her feet tangling awkwardly. Veil caught her by the hand before she could fall completely. They both turned toward the voice, finding a massive man looming over them.

  “You could’ve asked a little more politely, don’t you think?” Veil shot back, his tone sharp.

  “You think this is a playground? Get out of the way before I pound whatever’s left of that brain of yours,” the man growled, shaking his huge, clenched fist.

  Before Veil could retort—and before Kaela could tug him back to stop him from making things worse—a deep, gravelly voice cut through the tension. Another man, equally imposing but far more intimidating, stepped between them. His face was a map of old scars, his expression cold and unyielding.

  “Lay a hand on either of those kids, and you’ll be eating the floor. Got that? You don’t make the rules here. Your rank doesn’t give you the right to treat others like trash. But if you’re too dense to get that through your thick skull, I can make sure it sticks,” the scarred man said, his tone low but laced with threat.

  “M-Mr. Harald… I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… Please forgive me, kids…” stammered the first man, his earlier bravado gone in an instant.

  He hurried past Veil and Kaela toward the counter, muttering under his breath. Though the words were unintelligible, the tone was anything but kind.

  “Picking fights with rookies… damn adventurers who think the world owes them something. Then they wonder why they never rank up. Even a slime’s got more sense,” Harald grumbled, loud enough for Veil and Kaela to hear.

  With that, he turned and walked away, disappearing up the stairs.

  Veil and Kaela exchanged a bewildered look, both still processing what had just happened.

  “Uh… anyway. Let’s go turn in our quests, and then meet by the door for that dinner,” Kaela suggested, forcing a small smile. “But, Veil… maybe you could let go of my hand now? Otherwise people really will think we’re a couple.”

  Veil blinked, glancing down at their joined hands—he hadn’t even realized he was still holding hers. He released it quickly, noticing her flushed cheeks, though to him it hadn’t meant anything particular.

  “Uh… yeah. Sorry. I kind of forgot I was holding it, with all that chaos,” he said awkwardly.

  Kaela waved her hand dismissively, still looking a little embarrassed, and hurried off toward the counter. Veil followed suit, heading to his usual receptionist.

  “Good evening, I’m here to report the quest I took this morning,” Veil said quietly.

  The woman behind the desk lifted her head—it wasn’t his usual clerk tonight, but her replacement, a friendly-looking woman with chestnut hair tied back neatly.

  “Good evening. I’ll need the quest sheet, please,” she said warmly.

  Veil pulled the folded paper from his bag and handed it over. She scanned the document quickly before setting it down in front of her.

  “I see… a gathering mission. So you’re one of the new recruits, then? I’ll need to see the plants you collected, please,” she added with a kind smile.

  Veil rummaged through his satchel again and took out two pieces of cloth, unwrapping them carefully before passing them across the counter. The clerk examined the herbs closely, then stood and disappeared into a side room.

  A few minutes later, she returned and sat down again.

  “Everything looks good. Before I finalize your report, did everything go smoothly? No major difficulties?” she asked, her tone turning a bit more serious.

  Veil hesitated, thinking back to the slimes—but he decided to keep it to himself. It wasn’t worth mentioning, and he didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention.

  He shook his head lightly.

  “No, nothing special. It went fine,” he said simply.

  But his tone gave him away, and his hesitant gestures made it clear he wasn’t telling the whole story. The clerk raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes lightly.

  “You know, there’s no need to hide anything. Even if something seems trivial, it could still help us. The feedback you adventurers give can be more useful than you’d think,” she said, her voice calm yet firm.

  Despite his initial reluctance, Veil eventually recounted what he’d seen with the slime, and mentioned the strange creature that had attacked Kaela. The woman listened attentively, not interrupting once.

  “Perfect. See? Every detail matters. That puppy you mentioned in the meadow—its owner’s been searching everywhere for it. Without realizing it, you actually completed another quest, even if it wasn’t assigned to you. So, we’ll pay you for both. Stay right here, I’ll be back in a moment,” she said before disappearing into the back room.

  She returned shortly afterward, placing a small pouch of coins on the counter. Turning it over, she let the contents spill out completely.

  “So, for the plants and for ‘finding’ the puppy, that makes fifteen bronze coins in total,” she said, counting them one by one in front of him.

  Veil took out his own coin pouch and tucked the money inside, making sure everything was in order before stepping back. He waved a quiet goodbye to the clerk, then made his way toward the entrance.

  Kaela hadn’t arrived yet, so he leaned against the wall near the door, waiting for her to appear.