Chapter:30-New Day
**Two Days Later**
It had been two days since Edwin returned from the Valley of Thorns, his heart still haunted by the shadows of that fateful journey. In this fleeting time, he had visited Eliza. She had recovered astoundingly quickly but not fully. Persistent headaches plagued her, reminders of the chaos they had faced together.
As he entered her modest room, sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, infusing the space with a soft glow. Eliza was sitting on a chair as she read book. Seeing him she put it down.Her hair tousled and her cheeks painted with a hint of color—a welcome departure from the pallor of illness. A mischievous smile danced on her lips as she spotted Edwin.
"You owe me for your life now, just so you know!" she declared triumphantly, her smirk infectious.
Edwin chuckled, momentarily thrown off by her spirit. "Weren't you the one who told me to go to the valley in the first place?" he retorted, raising an eyebrow in amused challenge.
Eliza's expression shifted, the easygoing atmosphere cracking for just a moment. Her smile faded as the weight of their recent past settled in. "Oh... um... I'm really sorry about that. Though I know 'sorry' doesn't quite cut it…" she murmured, looking down as guilt seeped into the air around them.
Edwin felt an unexpected swell of concern, sensing the sadness envelop her. He hated that his actions had affected her this way, seeing that soft cloud of regret hanging over her. But, as if drawn by an invisible thread, Eliza shook it off, her determination resurfacing.
"How about this?! I'll take back the favor!" she announced suddenly, her grin returning full force, the playful spark igniting in her eyes once more.
"...Hah, fine," Edwin replied, shaking his head with an affectionate smile.
"By the way, do you still have the spider blood?" Eliza asked, her tone growing inquisitive.
"Yeah, but I think I'm going to hold on to it for now," he said, a faint frown knitting his brow as he considered the implications of that cursed substance.
"Oh, okay. You do you, I guess," she shrugged, though her eyes glimmered with curiosity.
They fell into a rhythm of playful banter, Laughter bubbling between them, a fleeting balm to cover the wounds they bore. Edwin couldn't shake the guilt, however, brewing like a dark storm in his mind. Eliza hadn't known the Valley of Thorns would pose such danger—how could she? Yet she seemed to carry the burden on her shoulders as if it were her fault for what he had endured.
If only he could tell her that death held no finality for him… that each fall would lead him back, as if life itself had no choice but to return him, time after time into the fray.
[Remember, you must not tell anyone.]
The mechanical voice of Elora, the system that governed his life, resonated in his mind with cold finality.
"I know, I know," he muttered under his breath, brushing the thought away as he turned to leave.
With Eliza's smile still lighting his mind, Edwin made his way to the Adventurers' Guild, the heart of the city's daring exploratory spirit. Each step toward the guild sent a tinge of nervous energy coursing through him; today he would pick up a quest—something simple—eliminating a horde of slimes that had taken residence in the nearby forest. The dangerous creatures were a nuisance but far from what lay in the gallery of threats he had faced recently.
However, as he approached the dichotomous reception desk, curiosity danced across the receptionist's face before her expression shifted into something with weight. "Edwin, Donovan wants to see you," she said, her tone foreboding, laden with unspoken urgency.
With a resigned sigh, he climbed the stairs to Donovan's office, mentally preparing for whatever lay ahead.
There stood Donovan, the ever-dashing old man, with a twinkle of mischief in his eye—a man whose experience was etched not just in the lines of his face but in the lines of ink sprawled across the mounds of paperwork atop his desk. Sunlight streamed through the massive window behind him, illuminating his silver hair and forcing Edwin to squint.
"Edwin," Donovan greeted, gesturing toward an empty chair. "Come in, sit down."
Once Edwin was settled, Donovan leaned forward, intrigue radiating from him. "About the goblin you told me about before... We believe it may have been created by The Scarlet Requiem in one of the test sites we raided a few months ago. Their experiments—well, they seem to yield results."
"A test site?" Edwin's brow furrowed, a crush of dread swirling in his stomach.
"Yes. The Scarlet Requiem is obsessed with creating hybrids and chimeras—mishmashes of creatures spawned by their dark ambition. However, this is the first time we've heard of them artificially granting a creature a rune—especially through a weapon forged from this twisted magic."
"Was the testing also related to its abnormal size?" Edwin's voice lowered, pondering the implications.
"Most likely. Goblins typically run in groups, but orcs and trolls are lone warriors. That creature you faced was a hybrid—a formidable foe indeed."
Edwin's expression darkened as waves of realization crashed over him. "So The Scarlet Requiem is creating hybrids and releasing them into the world? That would explain the sheer number of goblins in that cave… almost like an infestation."
Donovan nodded gravely. "Yes, we noticed the same pattern when we rescued Liana from their clutches."
"And the black wolf… and the assassins in the testing forest..." Edwin muttered, piecing the fragments together.
"All their doing. They are terrorists who relish in chaos," Donovan said, somber certainty etching his features.
A heavy silence settled in the room, each man lost in thought, confronted by the weight of their shared burden.
"Listen, I won't force you to fight them," Donovan said, folding his hands together, his voice steadying in the oppressive atmosphere. "We adventurers were born to hunt monsters. Our ranks are often filled with mercenaries, creatures of selfish motives… It's not all good people. But what The Scarlet Requiem is doing? They've taken an interest in you."
Edwin met Donovan's gaze, vulnerable yet resolute. "So, you're asking me to help? Help the Empire?"
"Yes. Help us combat this darkness," Donovan urged.
"...You're asking me to be cannon fodder," Edwin remarked dryly, his cynicism a worn armor against the cruel reality.
Donovan chuckled softly. "I prefer the term 'destruction magnet'. You'd be far more valuable than you think."
[I advise you to accept] came Elora's voice, crisp and unwavering in his consciousness, the words layering on like stone.
'She's always been right… If I accept, will I have to take on a lot more quests? Will I be forced to plunge into danger again?'
[Most likely.]
'Will I get stronger?' he questioned, the glimmer of hope lighting within him.
[Most certainly.]
'Richer?' he pressed, rife with ambition.
[Very much so.]
A grin slowly spread across Edwin's face as he considered the possibilities, acknowledging the weight of destiny both terrifying and exhilarating. He felt an undercurrent of resolve ripple through him as he extended a hand, his pulse quickening.
Donovan, a glimmer of approval lighting his eyes, reciprocated the handshake firmly. An alliance forged, their fates entangled within this web of war and courage.
---
The forest was eerily quiet as Edwin walked through its depths, branches swaying rhythmically overhead in gentle solidarity. The slimes had been easy enough to deal with, sluggish and soft, their cores safely stored in his pouch as proof of his completed task. He felt a lightness in his demeanor, the triumph of victory mingling with the burdens they bore.
Emerging from the treeline, he exhaled, tilting his head up to the sky painted with hues of orange and pink, a beautiful canvas confirming the day's end. "I wish I were something inanimate…"he mused wistfully, gazing at the clouds drifting lazily overhead, brushing the weight of existence from his mind. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about anything."
With that final thought echoing in his mind, he stepped forward, heading back toward the city that pulsated with life.
End of Chapter