Arios continued to ride at full speed, determined to reach the next settlement before dawn. The biting cold wind whipped against their faces as they surged forward, but Filiola slowly began to wake. She was startled to find herself tied around the waist to Arios to prevent her from falling off the horse. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, though she tried to hide it.
—"It's not what you think," Arios said quickly, anticipating any awkward comment.
Filiola looked at him closely and noticed something alarming: a wound on Arios's forehead, with blood already beginning to dry across his face. Unable to hide her concern, she asked:
—"Are you okay? Why didn't you heal yourself?"
Before Arios could respond, he began to feel dizzy. His vision blurred for an instant, and without warning, he tumbled from the horse, dragging Filiola down with him onto the dusty ground.
—"You idiot!" she exclaimed, helping him up. "Why didn't you heal yourself? I see you only healed me… Do you not value your own life at all?!"
Without waiting for an answer, a frustrated Filiola gave him a light smack on the head, which caused the wound to start bleeding again. For a moment, she panicked at the amount of blood, but Arios quickly raised a hand to calm her.
—"I'm sorry… I didn't think it was necessary to heal myself," he replied weakly. "Besides, the adrenaline kept me going until now. Heavens, I didn't realize that rendering the giant sword pushed my mental CPU to the limit; I was so focused on the execution that I forgot about the RAM usage, making me overlook my own mortal health," he muttered to himself.
Finally, he decided to use his healing energy to mend his wound. A soft golden light emanated from his hand, closing the injury bit by bit. Once recovered, Filiola watched him with her arms crossed, demanding answers.
—"Alright, what happened? Where are the Orcs?" she asked seriously.
Arios replied calmly: —"Someone came and saved us. They finished off the ogres and then left."
Filiola frowned, skeptical of the explanation. It seemed strange that someone had appeared out of nowhere to save them, but what surprised her most was that the "weakling" Prince had managed to face those monsters. After all, she had trained alongside him when her father, Andros, supervised their practices. She had always noticed that Arios was clumsy in combat, unable to coordinate his movements correctly.
However, before she could ask more questions, Arios spoke with a gravity that disarmed her:
—"We must keep moving. We can't waste any more time."
Filiola opened her mouth to protest, noting the evident exhaustion on his face and the long night of riding they had already endured. But something in Arios's determined gaze left her speechless. She knew there was no time for rest—not while Kei was in danger.
Without further argument, they both mounted the horse again. This time, Filiola took the reins firmly.
—"I'm driving this time," she said with authority, adjusting herself in the seat.
They continued riding until they finally spotted the next town. A large, reinforced wooden gate loomed before them, marking the entrance. Before entering, Filiola removed her armor and stored it carefully in her dimensional space, making sure not to draw attention. They couldn't afford to reveal she was a Royal Guard.
Arios, for his part, covered himself completely with a cloak and a hood that hid his face. He also placed a patch over his green eye to prevent anyone from recognizing his most distinct feature: heterochromia. Finally, he tied a bandana around his head to hide the purple streak that stood out in his blonde hair.
With their identities hidden, they crossed the town gate, ready to face whatever awaited them inside. The guard at the entrance looked at them with suspicion as he asked for identification. Arios tensed under his hood; obviously, he couldn't reveal he was the Prince, as he had disguised himself precisely to avoid attention. Filiola also remained silent, searching for a quick excuse in her mind.
Just as the silence began to get uncomfortable, a friendly voice broke the tension:
—"Relax, they're with me," a man said from a nearby wagon, pointing at them with a carefree smile. Then, turning to Arios and Filiola, he added: "Vanilla, Musa, hop on quickly, let's not waste time."
The two froze for a moment. How did this man know they needed help? However, they decided to play along and boarded the wagon without a word. The man introduced himself quickly: he was in his thirties, with messy brown hair and a kind expression that inspired instant trust. He wore a tattered, worn-out coat that looked like it had been pulled from the trash, though his attitude suggested otherwise.
—"My name is Artis," he said with a warm smile as he guided the wagon toward the town center. "I won't ask what you're running from or why you're here, but if you want to stay under the radar, I recommend joining the Adventurers' Guild. It's the best place to start without raising eyebrows."
Arios and Filiola exchanged a quick look. Both wondered again why this stranger was helping them, but they decided to go with the flow for now. The situation still seemed suspicious to them, especially since they didn't know Artis's true intentions.
Finally, they arrived at a sprawling, bustling building: the Adventurers' Guild. Inside, they remained alert, prepared for any betrayal. However, seeing the environment full of people busy checking quest boards and chatting animatedly, they felt their concerns might be unfounded.
—"The feeling of trust is mutual," Artis said, turning to them with a reassuring smile. Although both looked at him seriously, they still felt nervous and insecure inside.
Without further delay, they decided to join the guild using the fake names Artis had given them: "Vanilla" for Arios and "Musa" for Filiola. A kind girl behind a counter took their details and explained the guild's workings: how to select missions, the different ranks (from G to S), and the corresponding payments. As newcomers, they would start at the lowest rank, Category G.
Upon receiving their guild cards, Artis couldn't help but chuckle.
—"So, Vanilla and Musa, huh?" he commented, pointing at the cards with a mocking smile.
Arios sighed internally. "Vanilla? Seriously... of all the aliases available in this world, Artis chose the most common one in the catalog," he thought, though he was thankful it wasn't anything flashier.
Regardless, Arios thanked him, but still wary, he decided to speak:
—"Thanks for helping us get into the city and for the registration. Though, to be honest, we thought for a moment you might do something to us."
Artis let out a laugh, shaking his head.
—"Who do you think I am, kid? I'm no dirty villain; I'm an adventurer. I know it might have been reckless to follow someone out of the blue, but I saw your desperate faces and wanted to lend a hand."
Filiola, always blunt, cut in with an arched eyebrow:
—"Well, with those... peculiar clothes, it did cross our minds that maybe you weren't entirely trustworthy."
Artis let out another giggle, adjusting his coat with pride.
—"This coat is very good, you know? It's saved me from many difficult situations."
—"Sure, right… If you say it has value, then it must," Filiola replied with evident sarcasm. "It's just that you have terrible taste in clothes."
Arios observed the conversation between the two, though his mind was focused on something more important: finding clues that would lead him to Kei and fulfilling his objective as soon as possible. He knew every second counted, and although Artis seemed harmless, he couldn't afford to be too distracted.
Once they felt more comfortable with Artis, they sat at one of the guild tables. Arios, in a low but firm voice, briefly explained his situation:
—"We are looking for Rowar. We need to see that person now," he said, omitting any unnecessary details.
Artis arched an eyebrow, surprised by the mention of the name.
—"Rowar? He's a legendary adventurer… if you're looking for that guy, you must have some serious trouble on your hands."
Filiola cut in quickly, trying to get concrete answers:
—"Do you know him? Can you take us to him?"
Arios shook his head before Artis could respond.
—"Rowar isn't someone you simply look for. He's someone who finds you when he wants to," he said with a tone of evident frustration. He didn't have time to wait for him to appear; every second counted if he wanted to save Kei. Artis noticed his impatience but decided not to ask further. He wasn't a gossip, and he knew people only shared their problems if they wanted to. Besides, something in Arios's reserved attitude told him he wasn't the type of person who would easily trust a stranger.
—"And by the way… what adventurer rank are you?" Filiola asked, changing the subject while observing Artis with curiosity.
Artis smiled modestly, evading the question.
—"I don't like to brag about my rank or talk about it. I prefer to let my actions speak for themselves."
Before they could delve deeper into the conversation, a deep voice boomed behind them:
—"There you are, Artis! I see you got yourself some new sidekicks… I thought you worked alone. Of course, always acting superior just because you're an A-Class adventurer."
Everyone turned toward the newcomer. It was Shan, a hulking man with an intimidating appearance reminiscent of a mobster. His presence alone generated fear among nearby adventurers, who exchanged nervous glances as they saw him approach.
—"A-Class..." Arios and Filiola whispered in unison, surprised to discover Artis's rank.
Artis looked at him calmly, though his expression showed some discomfort.
—"Ah, it's you, Shan. Another A-Class adventurer," he replied dryly, pointing at the newcomers. "Yes, these are Vanilla and Musa. Just registered at the guild."
Shan shifted his attention to Arios and Filiola, examining them with disdain. His gaze stopped on Arios, whose eye patch caught his eye.
—"What, you playing tough, kid?" Shan mocked, pointing at Arios's patch with a sneer. Arios remained motionless, though his fingers itched to pull out his brush. "It's not toughness, it's incognito mode," he thought. He knew that if he lowered his firewalls and revealed his identity or his power, Shan wouldn't last a second against a new rule imposed by his code.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Filiola, examining her up and down with a brazen arrogance that was uncomfortable. His eyes lingered on her face a moment longer than necessary before adding:
—"And you, girl... you're hot."
Filiola frowned instantly, annoyed by his tone and the way he looked at her. Before she could respond, Shan continued conceitedly:
—"Why don't you join my group? Don't waste time with this pair of rookies. With me, you could go much further."
His words reeked of overconfidence, as if he were certain no one in their right mind would refuse his offer. However, Filiola didn't flinch. She crossed her arms and looked him directly in the eye, defiant.
—"No, thanks," she replied coldly, turning toward Arios to show she was not interested in continuing the conversation.
Shan, feeling the mocking stares of other adventurers after Filiola's rejection, let out a forced laugh before hardening his expression. Without warning, he drew a dagger and placed it directly against Arios's neck, who remained motionless, trying to stay calm.
—"You were saying, sweetheart?" Shan said, pushing the dagger lightly against Arios's throat while looking at her with a cruel smile.
Artis quickly stood up, trying to intervene.
—"Stop! We can't fight between adventurers. You know that's forbidden," he warned, extending a hand toward Shan.
But Shan completely ignored his words. His eyes were still fixed on Filiola, demanding an apology and her joining the group as compensation for the offense.
—"Besides," Shan continued, now addressing Filiola, "being a G-rank, you should show respect to someone of higher rank like me."
Filiola was in a dilemma. She knew she had to swallow her pride; she couldn't let Arios be in danger. Just as she was about to give in, something unexpected happened: the dagger at Arios's neck vanished from Shan's hands in the blink of an eye.
An authoritative voice echoed from the shadows:
—"Fool. Fights between adventurers are not tolerated. That is not acceptable."
Suddenly, everyone in the guild turned toward a figure emerging from the shadows. It was completely covered in a black cloak that hid every part of their body, leaving only a mysterious glint under the dim lamplight. Most surprising was seeing that this person held the dagger Shan had been using moments before.
—"Well, it's a good dagger," the figure said with a calm but authoritative voice while examining the weapon with disinterest. "I'll keep it. It's not fit for someone as clumsy as you. Consider it a tax for your lack of brains."
Shan frowned, furious at the stranger's arrogance.
—"Hey, who the hell are you! You want to fight?" Shan shouted, pointing at the figure aggressively.
Without waiting for an answer, he and his lackeys drew their swords, ready to attack the intruder. However, before they could take another step, the person let out a low, mocking laugh.
—"You lot wouldn't even serve as a warm-up," they declared with contempt, their voice echoing like a frozen echo in the silence of the room.
In the blink of an eye, the five men collapsed to the ground unconscious, without anyone understanding exactly what had happened. The energy in the room shifted instantly, charged with awe and reverential fear.
—"Poor losers," the hooded figure murmured, pocketing the dagger while looking at the inert bodies with indifference.
Artis, who had been watching everything from the table, slowly stood up with an amused smile on his face.
—"Guys, I think it's your lucky day," he said, turning to Arios and Filiola. "The person who just saved you is none other than Rowar."