Sylva found Johan near the edge of the main street, where the crowd had begun to thin but had not yet settled. People still moved in hurried directions, voices overlapping, armor clashing faintly in the distance as Stonehaven slowly shifted from chaos into preparation.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Sylva stepped closer.
"Mr. Johan," she said, her voice steady but edged with urgency, "have you seen Vein?"
Johan shook his head without hesitation.
"No," he replied. "I lost sight of him when the crowd surged forward."
His gaze swept across the street, scanning the moving bodies with a veteran's instinct, sharp but realistic.
"There are too many people," he added quietly. "In a place like this… finding one person isn't simple."
Sylva clenched her hand slightly.
Her eyes moved across the city—rows of armored figures, civilians stepping aside, soldiers already reorganizing into formations. Everything was in motion.
Everything except certainty.
"Then we split up," she said.
Johan turned to her.
"We'll find him faster that way."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Only decision.
"I don't like this," Sylva continued, her gaze narrowing slightly. "I have a bad feeling about it."
Johan remained silent for a moment.
He understood that tone.
It wasn't fear.
It was instinct.
The kind that didn't come without reason.
He opened his mouth to respond—
"There's no need."
The voice cut cleanly through the noise around them.
Both of them turned.
Kael stood behind them, his presence alone enough to steady the space around him. He had already descended from the sky, yet the weight he carried had not diminished in the slightest.
"I'm certain he's fine," Kael said calmly.
There was no doubt in his tone.
No uncertainty.
Just conclusion.
"And more importantly," he continued, his gaze shifting between them, "I need both of you to come with me."
Johan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"For a discussion," he said, "about the Seven Deadly Sins."
It wasn't a question.
Kael gave a small nod.
"As expected," he replied. "A veteran Supreme Commander doesn't lose his edge."
Johan exhaled quietly, neither proud nor dismissive.
Just acknowledging.
Sylva stepped forward.
"No," she said.
Both men looked at her.
"I'm going to find Vein first."
Her voice didn't rise.
But it didn't bend either.
For a moment, the air grew heavier.
Then—
Kael spoke.
"Are you saying," he said calmly, "that one person matters more to you than the lives of hundreds?"
The words weren't harsh.
But they struck.
Sylva's body stiffened.
"Or perhaps more than that," Kael continued, his gaze unwavering. "Thousands."
Silence fell between them.
Not forced.
Not commanded.
Just… inevitable.
Sylva didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
Not in submission—
But in conflict.
Vein's face crossed her mind.
The way he struggled.
The way he stood anyway.
The way he tried to move forward, even when he clearly didn't belong in a world like this.
Her fingers tightened.
Then slowly—
She exhaled.
"…Understood."
The word came out quieter than before.
But it was firm.
Kael didn't respond.
He simply turned.
"Follow me."
Johan gave Sylva a brief glance.
Not questioning.
Not judging.
Just acknowledging the choice she had made.
Then he walked.
Sylva remained where she stood for a moment longer.
The city moved around her—people rushing, voices calling, armor shifting, footsteps striking stone in uneven rhythm.
She turned her head.
Looking back.
Searching.
But no matter how far her gaze reached—
She couldn't find him.
Not among the crowd.
Not between the shifting bodies.
Not anywhere.
"…Vein."
The name slipped from her lips quietly.
Almost lost beneath the noise.
Then—
She turned away.
And followed.
Leaving behind a city that had already begun preparing for war—
And a boy who stood somewhere within it.
Alone.
—
I had been walking for what felt like an hour.
At first, I thought it would be easy.
Just find Sylva.
Find Mr. Johan.
That was all.
But Stonehaven wasn't a place you could simply "search."
It swallowed people.
The deeper I walked, the less everything made sense. Streets branched endlessly, filled with movement that never stopped. Knights marched in formation, their armor clashing rhythmically. Others ran past me, carrying weapons, shouting orders, preparing for something that hadn't even begun yet.
Everywhere I looked—
There were blades.
Armor.
And people who looked like they belonged here.
Unlike me.
"…Where the hell are they…"
I muttered under my breath, slowing my steps.
I had tried.
For an hour.
And found nothing.
No Sylva.
No Mr. Johan.
Not even a familiar face.
Just a city that kept moving forward without me.
Eventually, I gave up.
Not completely—
Just enough to breathe.
I found an empty wooden bench tucked away near the corner of a side street, partially hidden behind a stack of crates no one seemed to care about. It wasn't comfortable, but it was quiet enough.
I sat down.
And for the first time since getting separated—
I stopped moving.
My eyes drifted across the city again.
Only this time…
I actually looked.
At first, it was just the same thing.
Armor.
Weapons.
People rushing.
But then—
Something felt off.
"…Wait…"
I leaned forward slightly, narrowing my eyes.
The armor.
They weren't all the same.
Some were bronze.
Others silver.
And a few—
Dark blue.
The difference wasn't just aesthetic.
It was intentional.
"…Why are they wearing different colored armor?"
I muttered to myself.
"Because those colors represent their ranks."
The answer came instantly.
Right beside me.
"Hmm… I see—wait."
My brain caught up a second too late.
I turned.
And froze.
There was a girl sitting next to me.
No—
Not just sitting.
She had been there long enough to look completely natural, as if she had always belonged in that spot and I was the one intruding.
She looked about my age—maybe slightly older—but there was something about her presence that made that detail feel irrelevant. Her golden-blonde hair fell just past her shoulders, slightly messy but not uncared for, with a small strand tied loosely at the top that swayed gently whenever she moved. Her eyes were sharp, a clear amber that seemed to observe everything with quiet curiosity rather than judgment.
She wore a fitted silver armor.
Not bulky.
Not decorative.
Practical.
The plating followed the shape of her body without restricting movement, polished just enough to reflect light but marked with faint scratches that suggested it had actually seen use. Beneath it, darker fabric filled the gaps, allowing flexibility where metal could not.
A long blue scarf wrapped loosely around her neck, the ends trailing behind her like quiet ribbons caught in a constant, invisible breeze.
At her waist rested a small pouch and a sheathed weapon—lightweight, efficient.
Not for show.
For use.
She sat casually, one leg slightly forward, her posture relaxed in a way that only someone confident in their surroundings could manage.
And she was looking at me.
Not surprised.
Not cautious.
Just… interested.
"…Since when were you there?" I asked.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Since you started talking to yourself."
I blinked.
"…That long?"
"Mm."
She nodded lightly, as if that was the most normal thing in the world.
Then her gaze shifted briefly toward the street.
"Bronze is the lowest rank," she continued casually. "Mostly new recruits or local guards."
She pointed slightly.
"Silver—like mine—means active combat unit. Field-ready."
Her finger moved again.
"And dark blue…"
Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
"…Those are elites."
I followed her gaze.
The dark blue armor stood out immediately now.
Not because of the color—
But because of the way they moved.
Different.
Sharper.
Heavier.
"…I see…"
I leaned back slightly, processing.
Then looked at her again.
"…And you just decided to explain all that to a random guy sitting on a bench?"
She smiled.
Not widely.
Just enough.
"You didn't look like you belonged here."
I paused.
"…That obvious?"
"Very."
She didn't hesitate.
That stung a little.
"…Thanks."
"You're welcome."
She said it like it wasn't an insult.
Which somehow made it worse.
For a brief moment, silence settled between us.
Not awkward.
Just… present.
Then she looked at me again.
More directly this time.
"So," she said, "who are you looking for?"
My body stiffened slightly.
"…How do you know I'm looking for someone?"
She shrugged.
"You've been scanning the crowd without seeing anything."
That—
Was accurate.
"…Sylva," I said after a moment. "And Mr. Johan."
Her expression didn't change.
But her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Ah."
Just one word.
But it carried weight.
"You're with them."
Now it was my turn to narrow my eyes.
"…You know them?"
She didn't answer immediately.
For a brief moment, she simply looked at me—her gaze calm, unreadable, as if weighing whether the question even deserved a response.
Then—
She shook her head.
"No."
A short answer.
Flat.
Almost careless.
"I just said that randomly."
I blinked.
"…What?"
She shrugged lightly, completely unfazed.
"You looked like you were searching for someone important," she added. "So I guessed."
That was it.
No hidden meaning.
No deeper intention.
Just a guess.
I stared at her for a second longer, trying to figure out if she was joking—or just naturally like this.
"…You're unbelievable."
She didn't react.
Not even a little.
In the end, I let out a quiet sigh and shook my head.
Right.
Of course.
This city really wasn't done messing with me yet.
—
A heavy metallic rhythm cut through the noise of the street before I could even gather my thoughts.
Footsteps.
Measured. Controlled. Each step rang against the stone like a warning bell, forcing space to open in the crowd without a single word being spoken.
A knight approached.
His armor was entirely silver, polished to a mirror sheen, covering him from head to toe without a single exposed gap. Even among the countless armored figures in this city, there was something about him that made people instinctively move aside—not out of courtesy, but out of caution.
"Oi, Kaela."
His voice was low, sharp enough to slice through the surrounding noise.
"I've been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?"
The girl beside me didn't even flinch. Kaela turned her head lazily, as if she had been expecting him.
"Oh, it's you," she said, almost bored. "Why are you here?"
The knight let out a short, irritated breath.
"That's my question. What are you doing—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
I felt it before I fully understood it.
His attention shifted.
And then—
"…You."
One word.
But the tone behind it changed everything.
Cold.
Hostile.
Focused.
A chill crawled down my spine as his gaze locked onto me. My body reacted on instinct alone, muscles tightening, my stance shifting ever so slightly as I prepared for something I couldn't yet see.
Then his hand moved.
Metal scraped against metal—
CLANG.
The blade slid free from its sheath, catching the light as it cleared the scabbard in a single, fluid motion.
The air around us seemed to tighten.
"Wow, wow, wow."
Kaela stepped forward immediately, placing herself between us with surprising speed.
"What do you think you're doing, idiot?" she said flatly. "He's just a regular adventurer."
The knight didn't answer right away.
He stood there, silent, the sword still in his hand, as if weighing something invisible in the air.
Then, with a sharp exhale—
"…Tch."
The blade lowered.
A moment later, it slid back into its sheath with a decisive click.
For a brief second, I thought that was the end of it.
I was wrong.
The knight reached up and pulled off one of his armored gloves. The motion was slow, deliberate, but I couldn't quite understand what he was doing.
And then—
He dropped it.
Right at my feet.
The sound was soft.
But the meaning behind it… I didn't get it.
I frowned slightly and glanced at Kaela.
She didn't explain.
She simply looked at me, her expression calm, almost expectant, as if she were waiting for me to do something obvious.
…Did I miss something?
The knight stood motionless, his presence pressing down on me even without moving. Even without speaking, it felt like he was waiting.
For what?
I let out a quiet breath.
I didn't want trouble. Not here. Not in this city.
Maybe he just dropped it.
Yeah… probably.
Slowly, I bent down and picked up the glove.
The leather was still warm.
I straightened, then stepped toward him, closing the distance between us carefully.
I didn't speak.
Not because I was afraid—
But because I genuinely had no idea what was going on.
When I reached him, I extended my hand and returned the glove.
He took it without touching my skin.
There was a brief pause.
Then, in a voice as cold and unwavering as before, he spoke.
"Meet me at the main road."
No explanation.
No context.
Just that.
He turned away immediately, the metal of his armor echoing once more with each step as he disappeared into the crowd.
I stood there for a moment, staring at his back as it vanished between people.
"…What was that supposed to mean?"
The question slipped out under my breath before I even realized it.
And somehow—
That felt more unsettling than the blade he had drawn earlier.
—
I stood there for a moment after the knight disappeared, the echo of his armored footsteps fading into the noise of the city. For some reason, the air still felt heavy, as if something had been left unfinished.
"…What was that supposed to mean?" I muttered under my breath.
Beside me, Kaela let out a quiet breath.
When I turned toward her, she was already looking at me—but not the same way as before.
There was something else in her eyes now.
Disbelief.
"…I didn't expect you to be that bold," she said.
I frowned immediately.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused. "I just returned his glove."
Kaela tilted her head slightly, studying me as if trying to figure out whether I was joking.
"…You don't know?"
A small pause.
"What are you talking about?" I repeated.
For a second, she just stared.
Then—
She laughed.
Not loudly.
Not mockingly.
But just enough to make something inside me tighten.
"I thought you were brave," she said, shaking her head lightly. "Turns out you're just really stupid."
My expression hardened.
"…Hey."
But she didn't stop.
"If someone throws their glove at you," she continued calmly, "it means they're challenging you to a duel."
The word hit harder than I expected.
"…A duel?"
"Yeah. A duel." She crossed her arms. "And now you've accepted it."
Silence fell between us.
The noise of the city returned in the distance—metal clashing, voices rising—but it all felt strangely far away.
I had just arrived here.
Not even a full day had passed.
And somehow—
"…I'm already in a duel?" I muttered.
Kaela shrugged lightly.
"Looks like it."
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building in my chest.
"Why would he suddenly challenge me like that?" I asked.
"I don't know," she replied. "But people don't react like that for no reason."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"If he's that angry… you must've done something."
I went silent.
My mind ran through everything I had done since arriving in this city.
Nothing.
At least… nothing that should lead to this.
"…So what am I supposed to do now?" I asked.
Kaela didn't hesitate.
"If you ask me," she said simply, "you should just go."
"To the duel."
Her tone wasn't serious.
But it wasn't joking either.
And for some reason—
That answer felt heavier than anything else she had said.
Kaela looked at me for a moment longer, then let out a quiet sigh as if she had already made up her mind for both of us.
"Come on," she said, her tone suddenly lighter. "It's fine. He's not going to kill you."
Before I could respond—
She grabbed my wrist.
"Wait—!"
Too late.
She pulled me forward without hesitation, weaving through the crowded street as if she had done this a thousand times before. I stumbled once, nearly losing my balance, but her grip didn't loosen.
"Kaela—hold on—!"
"No time to hesitate now," she said casually, not even looking back. "You already accepted it."
"I didn't even know what I accepted!" I protested, trying to keep up.
She laughed softly.
"That's exactly why this is interesting."
The city blurred around us as she dragged me toward the main road. Knights moved past us in formation, merchants shouted over one another, and the constant ringing of metal echoed through the air—but none of it mattered.
Not anymore.
All of it faded behind one simple fact.
A duel.
With a knight I had never met.
In a city I had just arrived in.
My chest tightened.
My thoughts raced.
Is this how it starts?
Or how it ends?
I didn't know.
I couldn't tell if this was going to end well—
Or become the worst decision I had made since coming to this world.
And the worst part was—
I had no choice but to find out.