As Leo and Ash parted ways with Jack, they noticed Alfred's teammates lingering in the corner, watching their every move as if waiting for the right moment to act.
Leo felt the tension, the invisible eyes locked onto them. Ash felt it too.
"I think we should move now, Ash," Leo said quietly.
Ash replied with a serious face, "Yeah… we should. I sense it too."
Ash's demeanor shifted as his survival instincts clicked in, sharpening his focus.
Leo and Ash began walking slowly, avoiding any glance behind them as they made their way toward the kingdom's exit. They acted normal, pretending nothing was wrong so Alfred's teammates wouldn't realize they had been caught in the act.
After a while, they subtly checked again.
Alfred's teammates were gone.
Leo scanned the area, his eyes wandering sharply. Nothing.
"They're gone… but it doesn't feel right," Leo whispered.
Ash nodded, feeling the same unease.
"I think we should hide… or just act normal," Ash whispered, thinking they might have been safer following Jack for a while after Alfred's teammates disappeared.
Leo replied bravely, his tone sharp and prepared. "Let's just act normal. If they make a move, I'll bait them… but I'll need your help."
Ash frowned. "Bait them?"
Leo stepped slightly ahead, explaining, "Here's the plan. We need to get into the market before they spot us. I'll act normal, buying some stuff far from you… while you pretend to go into the alley so they follow you. As they chase you, I'll approach from behind without being noticed. When they focus on you, I'll strike first… and you prepare a bomb trap beneath where they're standing." He paused. "Sounds good?"
Ash's eyes widened, then shook his head. "No way. I'm not being the bait."
"Yes, it's you. Not me," Leo replied firmly.
Ash sighed heavily, whispering under his breath, "This day is worst." Then louder, with frustration, "Are you kidding me, Leo? I'm not doing that."
Leo exhaled, disappointed. "Then let's just go to the guild and get a new quest… if there's still one available."
Ash brightened suddenly. "Yeah, that's better. The guild has more heroes too… maybe they'll protect us. Hahaha."
Leo felt a bit of waste inside — his plan wouldn't happen.
---
Later, they returned to the guild. Everything felt normal, with no signs of danger. They searched for quests from citizens but ended up empty-handed.
"There's no quest we can find, Ash… let's head home to rest and continue tomorrow," Leo said.
Ash nodded. "I agree… but first, let's check if Alfred's teammates are still around before we leave."
They exited the guild and walked around and decided to climb and go to the outer ring wall to get a better view.
That's when they saw Resha, holding her beautifully crafted bow, standing beside a girl.
Leo quickly recognized Resha from a distance.
Ash, however, was stuck on the girl — it was the same one he had seen earlier on the experience leaderboard.
They quickly approached.
"Hey!" Leo called out.
Resha and the girl heard him but ignored it, not recognizing him.
Leo felt embarrassed. Ash, meanwhile, fixed his posture, checked his breath, and adjusted his hair.
Leo tried again. "Hey! Resha!"
Resha turned, confused. How did he know her name? She brainstormed her memories… then remembered.
"Umm… who are you?" she asked.
"I'm Leo! We met in the forest, remember?" he said happily.
Her face lit up. "Yes, I remember you! Nice to meet you again, Leo… but how do you know my name?"
"You told me back then. I didn't get the chance to tell you mine because you ran off so quickly."
Resha laughed lightly. "Oh… right. I was in a hurry. My friend Cinthia was on a hunt and I wanted to help." She pointed at the girl beside her.
Ash immediately stepped forward. "Hey, you're beautiful. May I know your name?"
Cinthia looked awkward. "I'm Cinthia… but who are you?"
"I'm Ash. Ash Voidel. Nice to meet you," he replied happily.
Leo glanced at Ash, feeling a mix of embarrassment and disgust at how he moved like that, then continued talking to Resha.
"So she's your friend? I saw her on the leaderboard… above you," Leo said.
Resha blushed slightly, embarrassed. "Oh, you saw us there? We're just E Rank Heroes."
"Yeah, we're actually the same rank," Leo replied happily.
Relief crossed her face. "Really? I've never seen you before."
"Same. I only checked because I was wondering if you were a hero after you saved us from that deadly serpent."
Resha laughed. "You were stalking me?!"
"No, no, no! I was just curious. I thought you were C or D Rank after seeing that fight… but then I saw you were E Rank, and I was so happy."
She laughed again. "I'm kidding. You don't seem like those weird people who stalk and try to…"
Leo leaned in curiously. "Try to?"
"Never mind," she said quickly.
Leo nodded, then added, "By the way, your bow looks amazing. Where did you get it? And… may I know your power?"
Resha smiled, then grew slightly sad. "My father crafted this for me… before he disappeared a year ago without a trace."
Leo softened. "I'm sorry I asked."
"It's okay," she said with a small laugh. "But… I'm scared to tell people my power. They usually bully me for it."
Leo laughed with her. "I don't care what someone's power is. I don't judge… I don't even have one."
Something clicked.
Resha's eyes widened. "Wait… you don't have a power?!"
"Yeah."
"Me too! I thought I was the only one in this kingdom!"
Both of them stared at each other, then burst into laughter.
"I really thought I was the only one," Leo said.
"Me too, me too, me too!" Resha laughed.
Then Leo suddenly remembered. "Wait… if you don't have a power, how do your arrows appear when you pull the string?"
Resha explained, "It's my mana. It turns into energy arrows whenever I pull the bowstring… I don't know how my father made it, but it consumes my mana."
Leo was shocked. "You have mana? I have it too! But how does your bow turn it into energy?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "My father just gave it to me… then disappeared a month later."
Leo grew curious. "Who is your father, Resha?"
Resha's expression hardened, a little anger surfacing. "I don't know him well… and I hate him for what he did to my mother years ago."
Leo stopped asking, sensing the pain. "I'm sorry… maybe let's just walk around instead?"
Resha agreed without hesitation. She turned to Cinthia. "Let's walk with them."
Cinthia agreed, already feeling a connection with Ash.
Ash looked at Leo like he had just been saved by an angel.
---
Later, they walked around the southwest district — buying some stuff, playing with kids, eating at restaurants, relaxing on benches — not knowing Alfred's teammates were spying on them.
As the moon rose, they decided to head home, separating paths and waving to each other.
The night lights and people's footsteps created a warm, amazing vibe in the streets.
But then, in the distance…
Ash and Cinthia were suddenly dragged away by mysterious figures, while Leo and Resha calmly walked back toward their homes.
---
When Leo arrived home, his grandparents welcomed him warmly.
"You're back, Leo!" Pops said happily.
"Let's eat, Leo. We've waited for you so we can eat together," Granny added.
Leo felt the warmth and comfort, accepting her offer.
As they ate, Pops asked, "Did your hunt go well?"
"Yeah, Pops. My hunt was good… and I met someone by chance. But this day was the worst because we got into a lot of trouble. Hahaha. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad."
Granny leaned forward. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Granny. Just a lot of trouble."
Pops chuckled randomly. "Did you see the Absolutes fighting that massive dragon, Leo?"
Leo's eyes lit up. "Yes, Pops! I was so amazed. That was my first time seeing Absolutes fight a monster like that."
Pops laughed, remembering. "Hahaha, I remember your Granny running inside the house when that dragon appeared from a distance!"
Granny laughed but felt a little insulted. "Can you blame me? I have a fear of dragons!"
They all laughed.
But deep inside, Leo kept thinking about that battle… dreaming of becoming an Absolute someday.
After eating, he went to his room and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Resha returned home.
Her grandmother greeted her, "Welcome back! Are you hungry?"
But Resha, exhausted, went straight to her room without answering.
Her grandmother simply smiled and let her rest.
Early the next morning, Leo and Resha headed to the southwest district in different place, ready to hunt again.
But as they arrived…
They noticed something strange.
Their friends were nowhere to be seen.