In the Rover Guild

One hour after Zal had left Eddie's Pawn Shop, the door creaked open, and a blond-haired woman in a green hood entered. Her steps were quiet, but Eddie, busy dusting off his cabinets, glanced up to greet her.

"Welcome," Eddie said in a cheerful tone, continuing his cleaning with an unusual vigor.

The woman glanced around the shop, her sharp red eyes taking in the sight of the clean shelves and dusted counters. She arched a brow.

"You're actually doing chores," she remarked dryly, her voice calm yet surprised.

Eddie chuckled, recognizing the voice immediately. "Ina. Haven't seen you in a while. Guess you're right. Got some motivation to finally clean up the place."

Ina's gaze wandered the shop until it landed on something that made her pause. Her eyes locked onto the pocket watch resting on the counter, ticking away smoothly. For a moment, she stood frozen, the sight clearly catching her off guard. She reached for the watch, picking it up delicately, as if trying to make sure it wasn't an illusion.

"The watch..." she murmured, her eyes widening. "It's fixed?"

Eddie smirked, leaning against the counter. "Yep, that old thing's ticking again. Some gray-haired kid came by, took a look at it, and next thing I knew, it was working like it was brand new."

Ina's grip tightened on the watch, her expression sharpening. "Who? Who fixed it?"

Eddie scratched his head, thinking back. Then his face fell as realization dawned. "Ah, hell. I never asked his name."

Ina sighed in frustration, disappointment flickering in her red eyes. "You didn't ask his name?"

"He didn't offer, and I didn't think to ask." Eddie shrugged apologetically, then glanced out the window. "But he shouldn't be far. If I had to guess, he's probably at the Rover Guild by now. He said he was heading to Avaros."

Without another word, Ina slipped the watch back onto the counter and dashed out the door, her movements so swift that the dust on the floor swirled in her wake.

Eddie coughed, waving a hand to clear the air. "Dust… how long have I been living in this place without realizing?"

As he chuckled to himself, he shook his head, thinking about how one chance encounter had brightened his otherwise dull day.

…

..

.

Thirty minutes earlier…

Tia stepped through the doors of the Rover Guild, her heart heavy with mixed emotions. The moment she crossed the threshold, a sudden hush fell over the crowd. Her presence, once thought lost to the Iron Grave, was met with gasps and wide-eyed stares. The silence didn't last long. In an instant, murmurs spread like wildfire, and then came the flood of voices.

"She's back!"

"Oh, sweet Almighty Zylos, she's alive!"

"Tia! Tia's returned!"

People swarmed around her, firing off rapid questions, their voices overlapping. A few rovers, unable to contain themselves, rushed forward and hugged her tightly, their relief evident. Tia tried her best to smile, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for making you all worry," she managed to say, her voice shaking with sincerity.

Among the crowd was a young woman with brown hair, tears glistening in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Tia. Leen, a B-rank rover, trembled as she held on to her.

"I thought… I thought I lost you," Leen said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't protect you, I couldn't… I was hopeless."

Tia placed a reassuring hand on her back. "You did your best, Leen. As a Warrior-Shielder, you protected everyone else. That's what matters." Her smile was soft but genuine. "I just got lucky, that's all. Managed to track my way out."

Leen sniffed, clearly unconvinced, but she nodded, still gripping Tia tightly.

From the corner of her eye, Tia noticed a figure standing off to the side, his posture relaxed, as though entirely unfazed by the commotion. His outfit—black shirt and pants—was made striking by a black-and-red poncho and a feathered hat to match. A black fiber mask covered his nose and mouth, but it was his bright cyan hair and the sharp, red eyes beneath the hat's brim that caught Tia's attention. The amulet peeking out from beneath the poncho was the giveaway—an A-rank amulet, custom-made. She knew immediately who he was: the only A-rank summoned to Batustone.

The man stepped forward, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, and with an air of total nonchalance, he spoke, his voice calm and easygoing.

"Leen's been having nightmares every night since you went missing. I guess it's hard to blame her, though." His eyes slid over to Leen, who stiffened at his words. "But it looks like the nightmare's over, right?"

Leen lowered her head, visibly struggling with her emotions. Tia glanced up at the man, a little taken aback by how relaxed he seemed. Despite his laid-back demeanor, there was something about him that spoke of experience, of someone who had been through countless dangerous situations.

"Pardon me, but… You're an A-rank rover, aren't you?" she asked, her gaze lingering on the visible amulet rope that marked his rank.

The man chuckled softly, adjusting his hat with a flick of his fingers. "Hoh… Sharp eyes. I try to keep it tucked away, but I guess I wasn't sneaky enough." He then tilted his head, as if sizing her up with those crimson eyes. "Name's Tareth. Came down from Avaros after hearing there was a nasty situation that needed an A-rank's touch. But now that you're here, my job's pretty much done."

His eyes glinted with a hint of amusement as he added, "Since my work is cut short… Guess I'll send you the bill later for all my wasted time."

Tia blinked, taken aback, her face suddenly flushing with panic. "I—I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to cause—"

Tareth waved her off with a lazy hand. "Relax. I'm just messing with you." His voice remained calm, with a slight playful edge to it, like he found amusement in the chaos around him. He tilted his head again, this time with genuine curiosity. "Though, I gotta ask—how'd you manage to crawl out of the Iron Grave on your own? I assume you had gotta be somewhere further down."

By now, the guild had gone silent, all eyes focused on Tia. Even the guildmaster had come out from his office, eager to hear her story. Taking a deep breath, she began recounting the events that led to her escape, leaving out key details about Zal and Ellen, of course. She did her best to present herself as the sole hero of her tale, weaving the truth with just enough omissions to keep her audience enraptured.

Meanwhile, outside the guild, a gray-haired figure stood observing the gathering. Zal crossed his arms, watching the commotion from a distance, his expression unreadable.

"Well, you look at that. Sooo many people. Guess they're still swarming her," he muttered under his breath.

Ellen's voice echoed in his mind. "Seems like it. Why not explore the town a bit while you wait? It's not like she'll be free anytime soon."

Zal nodded, conceding to the suggestion. "Fair enough. I'll come back later when the crowd dies down."

Turning away, he left the guild behind, deciding to explore the quieter parts of Batustone while waiting for things to settle.

Back in the guild, after Tia finished recounting her tale of escaping the Iron Grave dungeon, the room was filled with an air of astonishment. Tareth, standing casually by the door, gave her a slow, approving nod.

"Hoh…" he muttered in his usual laid-back tone. "Impressive survival instincts, I must say. Not many can make it out of the Lower Stratum in one piece. In fact," he glanced at the gathered rovers, "no adventurers have returned alive from there before. You rookies should take notes from Ms. Tia here—might just save your lives one day."

Tia shifted uncomfortably at the attention. "Mr. Tareth, you're giving me too much credit. I was just lucky to get out."

Tareth raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his masked face. "Lucky or not, you're standing here alive, which is more than I can say for most. Surviving the Lower Stratum is already a feat. Surviving and keeping all your limbs intact? That's practically legendary. Maybe the S-rank folks could learn a thing or two from you."

The guild members burst into light laughter, and even Tia couldn't help but smile. The tension in the room dissolved as the guild master clapped his hands together.

"Well, that's all the more reason to celebrate, isn't it?" the guild master said with a hearty laugh. "Everyone! We're having a feast for Tia's return! Lunch is on the house today!"

The announcement was met with cheers, and soon the guild's atmosphere shifted to one of relief and joy. The tables were quickly filled with food and drinks, and the rovers, grateful to have Tia back, shared stories and jokes around her. For the first time in what felt like ages, Tia let herself relax and enjoy the moment.

Two hours passed, and after the plates were cleared and the rovers had dispersed, Tia stayed behind to help clean up. Just as she was stacking the last of the dishes, Tareth approached her, his casual demeanor unchanged.

"Ms. Tia," he said, voice as easygoing as ever, "mind if we have a chat?"

Tia wiped her hands on a towel, her instincts telling her that this wasn't just a friendly conversation. Still, she smiled and nodded. "Sure, Mr. Tareth. What's on your mind?"

Tareth's red eyes, though relaxed, were sharp as ever. He led her away from the others to a quiet corner of the guild hall. "So, about that story you told earlier…" He leaned against a post, arms crossed over his chest. "It's a good one, really. But I'm not sure I'm buying all of it."

Tia tensed slightly but kept her smile. "What do you mean?"

"Getting out of the Lower Stratum on your own?" he said, still casual but with a hint of seriousness behind his voice. "No offense, but that place isn't your ordinary dungeon. That's the Iron Grave. It's where rovers go to disappear, and you said you managed to survive all the way through the Middle Stratum, too? You'd have to pass through Zephyrbane's domain. That thing's an S-rank threat."

Tia met his gaze without flinching. "I was lucky enough to avoid the worst of it. I just had to be careful and find the right moment to slip through."

Tareth held her gaze for a moment longer, then shrugged, a grin forming beneath his mask. "A'ight, if that's how you want to play it. Maybe I've been underestimating the lower ranks all this time." He chuckled softly. "Who knows? Maybe I should rethink my approach."

Tia chuckled in return, relieved that he wasn't pressing her too hard. "Well, I'm sure you have your own way of handling things, Mr. Tareth."

She then asked him, almost as an afterthought, "Speaking of which, that axe-wielding orc in the Upper Stratum—the one that knocked me off the cliff. What happened to it?"

"Oh, that one?" Tareth scratched his head lightly. "Yeah, we took care of it. Nasty thing, it was. Should've been in the Middle Stratum, but somehow it wandered up and started causing havoc. We had to put it down before it did more damage."

Tia nodded, grateful for the information. "Phew… I'm glad it's dead. Um, thanks again for coming to Batustone to help, Mr. Tareth."

Tareth waved her off, adjusting his red poncho. "Don't mention it. Gives me an excuse to explore El Reino more. Besides," he added with a wink, "someone has to make sure the rookies don't get themselves killed."

As Tia waved goodbye and left the guild, Tareth stood there for a moment, watching her go. Once she was out of sight, his playful smile faded slightly. "Hoh… that girl's hiding something," he muttered to himself, his tone thoughtful. "But I won't pressure the poor kid. I'll figure out the truth soon enough." He sighed, his grin returning. "Either way, it's bound to be interesting."