The two of them walked alongside the four adventurers toward their town.
"So where are you from?" Maruls asked.
Walking along, Maruls was on Jhed's left, Metye had positioned himself between Jhed and Shine, Asfer walked on Shine's right, and Uni walked beside Asfer. The formation made it look like Jhed and Shine were prisoners being escorted under heavy guard.
Flowering trees lined the path on all sides — most of them nameless to Jhed.
"We came from Mariana city," Shine said.
As they walked, the sheathed swords of Shine and Maruls clinked lightly against their armor, producing a quiet, rhythmic sound.
"Mariana—?" All three of them cried out at once, eyes going wide.
"The city from the prophecy—?" Maruls asked.
"That's the one," Jhed said.
They were stunned.
"Is it really true — that city was actually freed?" Metye asked, desperate to know.
"Yes. It was freed right when the recent prophecy came through," Shine said.
"So it's real then. The Demon Lord's days are numbered." Asfer said. Something lit up inside him after hearing it. He thumped his fist against his chest.
Through all of this, Uni had been completely quiet. Not a single word since they'd met. When they said Mariana, she'd been just as shocked as the others — but she'd held herself back from speaking.
"That's exactly why we can travel now," Shine said.
"That makes sense. Our town is small, so we've stayed safe so far," Metye said.
"What rank are you?" Asfer asked Shine.
"See for yourself." Shine pulled out his guild card.
"No way—" All three shouted at once.
"You're actually an S-Class adventurer?" Maruls said.
"We've never seen an S-Class in person. You're the first," Metye said.
"And Jhed — what class are you?" Asfer asked.
Jhed hesitated.
"I just became an adventurer recently." He scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
The energy drained from all three of them instantly.
"Jhed, come stand over here." Asfer stepped aside, putting himself next to Uni instead.
All three of them crowded around Shine, questions coming from every direction — S-Class was their dream, and they'd been stuck at A-Class for years.
Jhed felt it quietly — being moved to the side like that.
"They shifted me out because I just became an adventurer and I'm not talking much. But I don't know how to start conversations. They talk about monsters, quests, places — things I know nothing about. So I stay quiet. Maybe they think I'm boring." Jhed thought to himself.
It was true — and it applies to any introvert. When you step into a group talking about things you have no experience with, you have nothing to contribute, and silence becomes your only option. It happens even among friends.
Uni glanced at Jhed. Jhed looked back — but her hat was so large and pulled so low that he couldn't make out her face. She was noticeably shorter than him.
But she had read the expression on his face.
"Those flowers... you can see them. Red... and green... those flowers — magic potions are made from them." Uni said, very quietly and with slight hesitation. It was the first time she'd spoken at all. Her voice barely carried — only Jhed could hear it.
"Oh, really?" Jhed said with a small smile.
The red and green flowers were called Life Lotus. Ordinary lotus grows in stagnant water — but Life Lotus needed no water at all. Once planted, they grew on their own. But they didn't grow everywhere — they needed a great deal of direct sunlight.
And like that, they reached the town a short while later.