The farewell beneath the crimson sky felt strangely quiet.
No grand speeches.
No dramatic promises.
Only exhausted survivors standing beneath the burning heavens of another world while heated winds swept across the volcanic cliffs around them.
The remaining explorers looked toward Kel one final time.
And for the first time since the expedition began—
Many of them truly understood how lonely leadership could become.
The campfires had already been extinguished.
Supplies secured.
Collected materials packed tightly within reinforced transport containers.
Draconic crystals, monster cores, ancient herbs, scales, venom sacs, bones, records, territorial sketches—
Treasures humanity had never touched before.
And now—
The survivors were leaving the Dragon Realm.
Without the man who brought them there.
The dimensional portal stood far behind them near the black volcanic ridge, its enormous crimson spiral tearing silently through reality itself while ancient runes floated endlessly around its unstable edges.
The air around the gateway distorted violently beneath dimensional pressure.
One by one—
The surviving explorers slowly approached Kel before departure.
Not formally.
Not ceremonially.
Personally.
A wounded mercenary extended his arm silently.
Kel clasped it once.
Firmly.
A scholar lowered his head respectfully.
Kel nodded back quietly.
One younger mage hesitated before speaking softly.
"…Come back alive."
Kel's dark eyes remained calm beneath the burning sky.
"I intend to."
The mage almost laughed hearing that answer.
Almost.
Meanwhile—
Landon stood apart from the others for several moments.
Silent.
Watching Kel carefully.
The young lord's silver-gray eyes reflected the crimson sky above while heated winds moved softly through his long combat coat.
Unlike the others—
He knew arguing further would change nothing now.
Because once Kel decided something—
He walked toward it completely.
Still—
That understanding did not make leaving easier.
Finally—
Landon stepped forward.
The two men stood facing one another beneath the burning heavens of dragons.
No one interrupted.
Because even the surviving explorers instinctively understood something.
This moment mattered.
Landon's voice remained calm.
Controlled.
Yet quieter than usual.
"You're asking us to abandon you."
Kel answered immediately.
"No."
A faint volcanic wind passed between them.
"I'm ordering you to survive."
Silence followed.
Landon's jaw tightened slightly.
Then slowly—
The young noble exhaled.
"…You really are impossible."
Kel almost smiled faintly at that.
Almost.
Then finally—
Landon lowered his head slightly.
Not as a noble.
Not as council representative.
As a knight.
"As you command…"
The surrounding explorers quietly looked away afterward.
Because somehow—
That scene felt heavier than all the battles they survived together.
Meanwhile—
Sairen softly whispered through the soul-link.
"…He truly would follow you anywhere."
Kel watched the survivors begin moving toward the portal.
"That's why I sent him away."
The guardian remained silent briefly.
Then quietly asked—
"…And what about you?"
Kel's dark eyes shifted toward the endless Dragon Realm beyond the volcanic mountains.
"I still have things to find."
The survivors entered the portal one after another afterward.
And reality changed again.
The burning crimson sky vanished.
The volcanic heat disappeared.
The overwhelming primal mana pressure weakened instantly.
And suddenly—
The surviving explorers stood once more inside the southern wilderness.
The human world.
The difference felt overwhelming.
The air here felt lighter.
Softer.
Almost fragile.
Several explorers unconsciously collapsed to their knees after crossing.
Not from weakness.
From relief.
One mercenary laughed loudly while staring upward toward the ordinary gray sky above the southern mountains.
"…We actually came back…"
Another explorer touched the grass beneath his fingers almost disbelievingly.
The wilderness no longer felt terrifying after surviving the Dragon Realm.
Now—
It simply felt human.
Yet despite the relief—
No one truly relaxed completely.
Because Kel remained behind.
And deep down—
Every surviving explorer understood something terrifying.
If even Heral considered the Dragon Realm dangerous enough to send everyone away…
Then what existed deeper inside that world?
The return journey through the southern wilderness lasted nearly two weeks.
Long.
Exhausting.
But compared to the Dragon Realm—
The dangers felt manageable now.
The survivors crossed ancient ruins.
Mountain forests.
Monster territories.
Broken valleys.
And throughout the journey—
The stories spread among them continuously.
The drakes.
The crimson sky.
The dimensional gate.
The dragons flying across distant volcanic heavens.
Sometimes at night—
The explorers quietly questioned themselves.
Did we truly survive that place?
Because already—
The memories began feeling unreal.
Like fragments from someone else's life.
Yet the resources they carried proved otherwise.
Draconic scales harder than enchanted steel.
Mana crystals overflowing with ancient energy.
Blood samples capable of revolutionizing alchemy entirely.
The South would never remain the same after this.
Finally—
After nearly two weeks—
The Southern Council Headquarters appeared once more beyond the mountain roads.
And chaos erupted immediately.
The guards nearly froze seeing the third batch return alive.
Especially without Heral.
Within hours—
The council chamber filled completely again.
Nobles.
Scholars.
Military strategists.
Merchants.
Everyone gathered.
Because now—
The surviving explorers carried the full truth of the expedition.
The atmosphere inside the council hall felt tense from the beginning.
The returned explorers looked exhausted beyond words while dust-covered cloaks and scarred armor reflected countless hardships endured far beyond civilized lands.
And immediately—
Questions began.
"Where is Heral?"
"What happened after the second batch departed?"
"Did you truly discover another world?"
"Were those reports real?"
"Why did only you return?"
The chamber descended into overlapping voices instantly.
Then finally—
Landon stepped forward.
Silence spread naturally afterward.
The young lord's silver-gray eyes looked colder now.
Sharper.
Like the Dragon Realm itself had left marks behind them.
And calmly—
Landon began explaining everything.
The dimensional portal.
The Dragon Realm.
The draconic species.
The battles.
The deaths.
The resources.
And eventually—
Kel's decision to remain behind alone.
The atmosphere inside the chamber changed completely afterward.
Several nobles visibly paled.
Others looked horrified.
Some looked inspired.
Meanwhile—
Duchess Seraphine sat perfectly still throughout the report.
Yet beneath the elegant calmness of her expression—
Her fingers had unconsciously tightened against her dress fabric.
Because somewhere beyond the wilderness…
Beyond the portal…
Beyond another world entirely—
Heral now walked alone.