Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (1)

I received an envelope from Georg. It felt different from the summons that had flown my way before. Back then, I had carelessly grabbed a letter opener and ripped it open, but this time, I took extra care to unseal it without damaging the paper. Sure enough, the document inside was written in a completely different hand. I unfolded the thrice-creased paper and began to read the Queen's words.

You have beautiful handwriting, Your Majesty. The letter, likely penned by the Queen herself, was neat, square, and dignified—much like her own character. I read the letter bearing the royal seal once more, then carefully folded ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it along its creases ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and set it on the desk.

"What does she say?" Georg asked, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment. He had been watching me with curious eyes the entire time I was reading.

"She wants us to choose our own departure date. She suggested sometime in early June."

"I see. Her Majesty is indeed considerate." Georg nodded. As a former knight commander, receiving a letter from the royal family must have filled him with a sense of awe. Then, he suddenly looked up and turned his gaze toward Marianne.

"So, what role will she be playing?"

"Probably a role similar to what Aryen used to do. Stirring up the frontlines."

Georg furrowed his brow. "So she's that strong. Though probably not as strong as Aryen. Well, I did feel we were a bit shorthanded, so I suppose adding reinforcements isn't a bad thing."

"What's this? You're just letting it slide without a fight? No desire to make a bet like last time?"

"...Ahem." Georg cleared his throat. Come to think of it, this guy was trying to quietly sweep our previous bet under the rug. What had he said back then? 'Then not only will I accept Daphne Epiphone into the party, but I'll also never question your words again and just shut up and follow you.' Since then, the way he reluctantly accepted Daphne as a companion was exactly like a father who had sworn he'd never let a dog inside the house.

"Anyway, we should probably set it for the first week of June. Since we're heading to the North, it's best to go when it's at least slightly less cold."

*Creak.* The door opened with a timid sound. A tuft of light pink hair peeked through the gap. Daphne cautiously poked her head in, but her brow furrowed the moment she spotted Marianne standing beside me.

"...I'm here."

"Welcome. We were just deciding on the date to set out for the Fourth Calamity."

Daphne pouted, then walked over to stand by my side. When she saw the coffee cup sitting on my desk, her face scrunched up again.

"...I'll really start coming earlier, so please let me brew your morning coffee from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now on." Daphne said, casting a sharp glance toward Marianne. I gave a wry smile and nodded.

"Alright." Once Daphne's sullen expression softened back to normal, I turned my attention back to the Queen's letter. "So, our departure date is early June. We have less than three weeks left."

Georg and Daphne nodded. Marianne listened to my words in quiet silence.

"I think it's best to leave as quickly as possible. Let's depart on the very first day of June."

Georg raised an eyebrow. "That's much sooner than I expected. I thought you'd try to delay our departure as much as possible under the guise of preparation."

I shook my head. "No. There's nothing more for us to gain by staying in the Royal Capital anyway. What would we get? The hide of a Grey Bear at best? We can actually prepare much more thoroughly once we're in the North. It's not like we'll hunt the Fourth Calamity the moment we arrive. It's far better to get there early and adapt to the harsh northern environment even a day sooner."

Right, Holy Sword?

[It has been a while since you spoke such sense. Your training will also progress further once you reach the North.]

The phrase "it has been a while" stung a little, but with the Holy Sword's agreement, I smiled confidently.

"Anyone have a different opinion?"

"No. In fact, I'm surprised you thought that deeply for once. If you had suggested a late departure, I was going to tell you that leaving early would be much better." Georg nodded in agreement. Daphne agreed as well, and Marianne... there was no need to even ask; she gave a slight nod the moment I turned my eyes to her.

Now that I had their confirmation, there was no reason to delay. I immediately picked up a pen and began drafting a reply to the royal palace.

Should I start with 'To Her Majesty the Queen'? After that, it would probably be proper to write, 'The Hero, Elroy, humbly addresses...' Honestly, the palace would prefer a quick reply so they could begin preparations, rather than a meticulously crafted letter that took days to write. I let my pen glide, composing the sentences one by one. Georg, who was hovering beside me, chimed in occasionally to correct my phrasing and expressions.

'Therefore, your humble servant wishes to depart for the North on the first of June. I pray for your gracious approval.'

After finishing the final sentence, I poured melted wax and stamped it with my seal. I handed the reply to Georg, who took the envelope with a slightly disgruntled look on his face.

"I feel like a mailman."

"Well, it's not like I can go myself."

Georg let out a hollow laugh at my shameless reply, but he carefully tucked the letter into his breast pocket anyway. The reply was out of my hands. I closed my eyes, exhaling a breath through the steam rising from my cup.

An inn in a city three days' carriage ride from the Royal Capital. Quite some time had passed since she left the party. Isis, who had abandoned the Hero's party with the sole determination of traveling with Aryen, had been wandering for weeks, guided only by a vague note Aryen had left behind—as if challenging her to find him if she could.

How many days had she spent traveling from town to town, riding in carriages and sometimes walking, following the flow of people? Finally, Isis managed to catch wind of Aryen's whereabouts in this city.

Isis drank from her wooden cup, her hands trembling slightly. Today was finally the day she would meet Aryen again.

She had painstakingly tracked down Aryen's base of operations by asking around at the Adventurers' Guild and questioning passersby. The innkeeper had told her that Aryen would likely be late today, as he had gone out to hunt monsters.

"Aryen... I'm waiting for you."

As the Saintess murmured, her rosary slipped down her chest. She grasped the clinking beads with both hands and let out a soft sigh. She didn't even know what she would say to him first when they reunited. Should she tell him she couldn't bear to remain in the Hero's party? That she couldn't stand being by that Hero's side?

"I don't really know. Perhaps I just wanted to follow you."

As Isis quietly sipped her water, fragments of conversation from nearby patrons drifted into her ears.

"Did you see the news?"

"See what?"

"The subjugation of the Fourth Calamity. An official announcement came down that the Hero's party will hold their departure ceremony soon."

Isis's eyes wavered. She strained her ears, focusing entirely on the adventurers' conversation. Ever since she heard that the Hero had been summoned to a palace hearing weeks ago, she had barely received any news about the party. Though she tried her best to remain indifferent, she couldn't help but care.

"Really? I heard the palace summoned the Hero and made a huge fuss. What happened with that?"

"I don't know the details either. Only the nobles in the palace would. But seeing how he's making public appearances so confidently, I suppose it was resolved well."

So the hearing was resolved well. Isis frowned. It seemed they had simply kicked Aryen out, handpicked people to their liking, and thrown together a makeshift expedition.

"When is the date? I'd like to go catch a glimpse of the Hero's face."

"I think they said the first day of June. They'll have to set out by tomorrow or the day after."

"That story."

Just then, a new voice cut into the adventurers' conversation. Isis's eyes widened, and the adventurers looked up in confusion at the outsider who had suddenly intruded upon their talk.

"Could you repeat that once more?"

Aryen Elmion. The mercenary, his shaggy black hair unkempt, had appeared out of nowhere and was now standing at the edge of the adventurers' table. The adventurers exchanged bewildered glances. As Aryen began to release a faint, oppressive aura, the adventurers finally snapped out of their daze and scrambled to speak.

"Th-the Hero safely got through the hearing this time..."

"And he'll be setting out to subjugate the Fourth Calamity soon. They said the date for the departure ceremony has been set."

A shadow fell over the bridge of Aryen's nose. With an expression that suggested he was chewing on some deep thought, Aryen turned around and slowly headed toward the stairs leading to the inn's second floor.

"...Aryen!"

Isis hastily rose from her seat and called out to him. The mercenary paused on the stairs and turned back at the familiar voice. Aryen's eyes, which had been sharp and irritable, instantly widened with surprise upon seeing Isis's blue eyes peeking out from beneath her hood.

"Isis..."

Before Aryen could even react, Isis ran forward and threw her arms around him. Aryen looked down at Isis clinging to him, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and patted her back.

"...You found me."

Isis nodded, her face buried in his chest. Sensing the eyes of the patrons around them, Aryen led Isis up to the second floor. After having her sit down in his room, Aryen sat in the chair opposite her and looked at her.

"Did you leave the Hero's party?"

"Yes. Once I found out they had kicked you out, I went straight to the Hero to demand answers, but I couldn't get a proper explanation. There's no way he didn't know you were the true backbone of the party..." Isis trailed off.

The mercenary bit his lip, recalling his days in the Hero's party. The Hero who had constantly disregarded his background and refused to listen to a word he said. The Hero who had constantly hit on the Saintess. The mage who had sided with that Hero, insulting Isis and looking down on him.

"...No. I've decided not to care anymore. It was my mistake to ever join their ragtag expedition in the first place." Aryen spoke in a firm voice.

Isis clasped her hands together. "People like them will never be able to save the world. I thought that you becoming stronger and forging your own path might actually bring us closer to saving the world."

It wasn't that Aryen didn't want to save the world. It was simply a difference in methods, personality, and capability. If he had stayed with that incompetent Hero, he would have either died before getting anywhere near saving the world, or he would have ended up killing the Hero himself.

"What will you do now? Will you join another mercenary group?"

"No. I'm done being a mercenary. I want to wander the world as an adventurer for a while, seeing the sights I never got to see."

At Aryen's words, Isis slowly nodded. If they could wander the world like that, helping those in need and practicing her own version of salvation, that would be enough.

Silence settled over the room for a moment before Aryen tapped his chair and spoke first.

"They say the expedition for the Seven Calamities ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is departing on the first of June," Aryen said with a sigh.

"I need to see with my own eyes what becomes of them before they leave. Don't you feel the same?" Aryen spoke, a quiet anger simmering in his voice.

Isis looked into Aryen's dark eyes and nodded. She, too, needed to see if that Hero could still arrogantly proclaim himself the savior of the world. She wanted to see if the Kingdom would still foolishly acknowledge him, and if the Holy Kingdom would still recognize him as the Hero.

"...Yes."

Aryen and Isis's eyes met. In that brief moment, the mercenary and the Saintess decided to return to the Royal Capital.