The afternoon crowd of the Town of Beginnings was larger than usual.
Players filled the streets from one end of the district to the other, creating a constant wave of noise and movement. Conversations overlapped from every direction as rumors about hidden dungeons, first-clear rewards, and mysterious players spread through the city like wildfire.
Rio and Ryota had just returned from the plains after several hours of Yakolith farming. The global announcement caused by their accidental Marriage Bond was still fresh in everyone's mind, and the entire player population seemed obsessed with uncovering the identities of the two people responsible.
As they walked along one of the quieter roads leading toward the merchant district, Rio suddenly stopped.
Her reaction was so abrupt that Ryota nearly walked into her.
Before he could ask what was wrong, her hand shot out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait."
Ryota blinked in confusion.
"What?"
Rio immediately opened her system menu. Invisible panels appeared before her eyes as her fingers moved quickly through several settings.
After a few seconds, she spoke.
"Hide your status."
Ryota tilted his head.
"My status?"
"There's a concealment feature," Rio explained while continuing to navigate through the menu. "Players can hide specific information from others. Titles. Equipment effects. Special achievements."
She paused briefly before adding the most important part.
"Our Marriage Bond status is visible for three days after activation."
Understanding immediately, Ryota opened his own menu.
"Oh."
A few quick clicks later, he selected the concealment option.
"Done."
Rio froze for a moment.
Slowly, she turned toward him.
"...You're not going to ask why?"
Ryota shrugged.
"You wouldn't tell me to do it if it wasn't important."
For a brief moment, Rio simply stared at him.
Then she gave a small nod.
"...Good."
Closing her menu, she resumed walking.
"If people discover we're the players who triggered the announcement..."
Her grip tightened slightly around the hilt of Crimson Bloodmoon.
"...they'll come after us."
Ryota let out a low whistle.
"They aren't strong enough to actually do anything, though."
Rio didn't even look back.
"Some of them aren't."
Her tone remained calm.
"But I don't want our names on every player's target list for the next month."
Ryota laughed.
"Fair point."
The two continued through the city until they reached the merchant district.
The contrast between the peaceful plains and the bustling city was enormous.
Players crowded every available space. Some argued over prices. Others rushed between shops carrying newly purchased equipment. Everywhere Rio looked, she could see people desperately trying to gain an advantage before someone else did.
Exactly the kind of chaos she expected after a major world announcement.
She led Ryota toward a familiar NPC merchant.
The merchant looked up as they approached.
"Welcome, Adventurers. Are you here to sell materials?"
Rio nodded.
One after another, she began removing items from her inventory.
Yakolith Tears.
Yakolith Meat.
Yakolith Teeth.
Stone fragments.
Monster materials.
Crafting components.
Everything they had gathered during their long farming session that held no immediate value to them.
The merchant processed each item quickly, calculating prices and depositing coins onto the counter.
Several minutes later, the transaction was complete.
Rio checked her inventory.
"Thirteen copper coins."
Ryota leaned over slightly.
"For three hours of farming?"
Rio's expression remained completely unchanged.
"Yes."
A pause followed.
Then she added bluntly,
"The income is terrible."
Ryota laughed.
"You really don't sugarcoat anything."
Rio ignored him.
Instead, she opened a trade window.
Several copper coins disappeared from her inventory and appeared in his.
Six copper coins.
Ryota blinked.
"You're splitting it?"
Rio crossed her arms.
"You helped."
She looked away slightly.
"I still owe you one more copper coin."
A small pause followed before she added,
"I'll give it to you later."
Ryota smiled.
"I'll remember that."
With their transaction complete, they left the stall and merged back into the flow of people moving through the city.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The sounds of the marketplace surrounded them.
Merchants advertising their goods.
Players bargaining.
Guild recruiters shouting advertisements.
Then Ryota finally broke the silence.
"You're not excited?"
Rio glanced at him.
"About what?"
"The hidden dungeon."
He gestured vaguely toward the city.
"Everyone's losing their minds over it."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"But you're over here farming giant rock yaks."
Rio looked forward again.
"We don't need it."
Ryota frowned.
"How can we not need it?"
Rio exhaled softly.
"The dungeon reward is a Medium Health Potion Recipe."
Ryota nodded.
"That sounds useful."
"It is."
She immediately clarified.
"For guilds."
A few more steps passed.
"Large organizations can mass-produce potions for raids and large-scale battles."
She glanced at him briefly.
"We're a two-person party."
Her voice remained practical.
"The recipe requires a minimum of three party members to fully utilize."
Ryota blinked.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
Rio continued walking.
"We don't need mass production."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"What we need is Yak Ore."
"The ore for your musket?"
Rio nodded.
"It's the final material."
A faint hint of determination appeared in her voice.
"Once I finish crafting the musket, our farming efficiency doubles."
She looked toward the city gates in the distance.
"Spending hours chasing a dungeon reward we can't properly use is inefficient."
Ryota stared at her for several seconds.
Then he laughed.
"You really think differently than everyone else."
Rio didn't answer.
But the corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
At the opposite side of the city, near the main entrance, three figures had just arrived.
The crowd parted naturally around them.
Not because people recognized them.
But because their presence commanded attention.
At the front walked a young man with dark hair and an easygoing expression.
His hands rested casually inside his pockets as he observed the city around him.
Fayzan.
Behind him followed two women.
The first carried herself with calm confidence. Long purple hair rested neatly behind her shoulders, and her posture remained composed despite the chaos surrounding them.
Ayame.
The second was far more alert.
Her gray hair was partially hidden beneath a white hood, and her eyes constantly moved, scanning every detail around them.
Sumi.
Fayzan didn't bother turning around.
"You both know why we're here."
Ayame nodded.
"Information gathering."
Sumi folded her arms.
"And damage control if necessary."
A smirk appeared on Fayzan's face.
"Something like that."
Although he appeared relaxed, his eyes never stopped moving.
He studied the crowd carefully.
Players.
Merchants.
Guild members.
Movement patterns.
Behavior.
Anything unusual.
Then suddenly—
He stopped.
"Huh."
Sumi immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
Fayzan didn't answer right away.
His attention had locked onto something farther down the street.
Two players.
Walking side by side.
Talking casually.
Nothing remarkable.
Nothing suspicious.
Just another pair of beginners among thousands.
Ayame followed his gaze.
"They look normal."
Fayzan's smile widened.
"Exactly."
A strange feeling stirred inside him.
Not evidence.
Not logic.
Instinct.
The same instinct that had carried him through countless difficult situations.
"They're too normal."
Sumi frowned.
"You can't seriously be basing this on a feeling."
"Of course I am."
Fayzan pointed toward the distant pair.
"Ayame."
She stepped forward immediately.
"Yes?"
"Follow them."
No hesitation.
"No problem."
A soft glow appeared around her fingertips.
Mana gathered and condensed into a crystalline shape.
[Tamer Skill: Crystal Talon]
The light expanded before bursting outward.
A raven emerged from the spell.
Its feathers shimmered with deep violet hues, resembling polished amethyst beneath sunlight.
The bird spread its wings and let out a sharp cry.
Then it launched into the sky.
Higher and higher it climbed until it blended almost perfectly with the clouds overhead.
From above, its eyes locked onto two unsuspecting figures moving through the city.
Rio and Ryota.
The crystal raven began following them from a distance.
Watching.
Tracking.
Waiting.
Fayzan kept his gaze fixed on the sky as the familiar disappeared into the clouds.
His smile never faded.
"Let's see where you lead me."
Far ahead, completely unaware of the attention now focused on them, Rio and Ryota continued walking through the crowded streets of the Town of Beginnings.
Neither noticed the crystal raven circling high above.
Neither noticed the guild officer who had chosen them out of thousands of players.
And neither realized that the people responsible for shaking the entire world had just stepped directly into the sights of someone determined to uncover the truth.