A Party of Two

"Casner and I are leaving Talon tomorrow."

"Already? Is something urgent going on?"

"Something like that. Truth is, I came here without telling my family."

At those words, Luden looked at Reus with a flicker of surprise. To think a fellow who looked every inch the model student would pull off something as audacious as running away from home. At the same time, the word runaway stirred an odd sense of kinship in him.

"Things are probably in an uproar back home by now, so I should head back soon."

"The way you say that, I'm guessing this isn't your first time?"

"Heh. More or less."

Reus wore a mischievous grin that didn't quite suit him.

Once he returned, he likely wouldn't be allowed out for a long while. But he had no regrets. He'd had an unforgettable experience in Talon — and hadn't he made a new friend besides?

'It was time well spent.'

The memory of his defeat at Luden's hands would be carved into Reus's soul, becoming the nourishment that would drive him to go even further.

"If you ever find yourself in Sitlan, look for Hyran."

"Hyran?"

"It's another name of mine."

In that instant, Luden felt as though he'd been struck hard on the back of the head. Leaving only a "see you next time," Reus turned away. A burst of clamor rose from inside the shop, then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠settled back into quiet.

"Did you say Hyran?!"

A moment later, once the shock had loosened its grip, Luden cried out in astonishment.

Hyran of Sitlan. There was no doubt about it. If his memory served, that name was...

"The Barrier of Sitlan."

The hero who, in his past life, had held the barbarian hordes alone until the very end. Young as he was, he had undoubtedly been the star that shone more brilliantly than anyone else of that era. To think Reus had been that man all along. He'd never seen him in person, but the man's renown was such that even Luden, a mere mercenary, had heard plenty. And Reus certainly did resemble the rumors he'd heard.

"No wonder he looked so familiar."

He'd never once dreamed that Hyran would take part in the knight tournament held in Talon at this point in time. And on top of that — hadn't he gone and become friends with such a monumental figure?

'Had it all been meant to turn out this way?'

It was far too neat to be dismissed as mere coincidence. The thought crept in that perhaps this was the very outcome the Quest had intended. And if so — why? Gazing up at the night sky, Luden's heart grew tangled.

Unlike Reus, who left Talon the moment the knight tournament ended, Luden stayed another three days. The instant he set out, he would be crossing the border, and he needed that much time to prepare.

With his preparations complete, Luden turned to Sarah one last time. He had put this off until now for one reason or another, but the moment to make it certain had arrived. Luden sat down the girl who was beside herself with excitement at the news that they were finally departing.

"Sarah. There's something I need to tell you."

"Hm? What is it, yes?"

"It's hard to explain in detail, but I'm wandering around right now to accomplish a certain goal."

He could not afford to forget — Luden was not traveling on a lark. He had left home to gain the strength to protect his family and his territory from the calamity that would one day come. Which meant he had no time for idle amusement. He knew full well that even running without rest, his goal was touch-and-go.

"It won't be an easy road. It'll be long, and just as treacherous. Honestly, I'm not even sure I can see it through."

"Then why not just quit, yes?"

"Because I can't."

To Sarah, who cocked her head, Luden smiled bitterly. Even now, a corner of his heart still carried the guilt of having failed to protect his family. If only he had been a little stronger, found his courage a little sooner, hadn't done something so foolish — then perhaps his family would never have fallen. Of course, Luden knew better than anyone that it was a hollow delusion. It was simply that he couldn't bear it otherwise.

'Because I couldn't accept it.'

A desolate wasteland without a single blade of grass. A ruined village without a single soul. Because Luden had confirmed the future of the Kaisar territory with his own eyes, he could never forget the misery of that moment. And so he wanted to seize this second chance, no matter what it took.

'Even if the Quest harbors some other design, I have to see it through.'

Because that was his resolve.

"Sarah, I'll say this upfront — if you come with me, you're going to suffer a lot."

Sarah blinked her pitch-black eyes.

"You won't be able ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to see your tribe for a long while, of course, and you'll be through some dangerous business too."

He wasn't trying to scare her, but she at least needed to understand what traveling with him meant. Sarah was a clever girl; she would grasp his meaning without a lengthy lecture. Now the choice was hers to make. If Sarah said she wanted to go home, Luden intended to escort her all the way back to the Black Wolf Village himself. But if, even after all this, she still didn't turn back—

'Well, nothing to be done about it then.'

All that remained was Sarah's answer.

"So what will it be? Even after hearing all this, you still want to come with—"

"I'm going!" Yes, I am!"

"Huh?"

The spirited answer came before he could even finish. There before Luden's astonished expression, Sarah sprang to her feet and declared:

"Sarah is not a little kid! I can look after myself just fine, yes!"

"Sarah?"

"Sarah wants to go with Luden, yes!"

It sounded, as always, like she was being willful — but there was no waver in the eyes fixed on him. She seemed to have thought it over properly and made up her mind. Luden couldn't fathom what drove her to follow him, but...

"Haah... fine. It's not as if I can refuse."

He could simply have said no, but contrary to his misgivings, Sarah's companionship was clearly a good thing for Luden as well. Because—

Because this, too, was what the Quest desired.

There was one gateway that anyone bound across the border and into the kingdom had no choice but to pass through.

The Cobalt Mountains.

This range, stretching across the divide between Arun and Bedia, served as a border line of sorts.

"Awoooooo—!"

"Kyaaawooool!"

The cries of two beasts rang through the mountains. One was a monster called a Rokan — resembling a boar, only larger, with the head of a wolf. The other was a young beastfolk girl. The pair, each roaring as if refusing to be the first to yield, glared at one another with fierce, blazing eyes.

'Do dogs and wolves just not get along?' Luden, watching on, thought — then turned his focus to the showdown about to unfold before him.

Sarah moved first. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Explosive speed carried her forward in an instant, and she swung her fist. Small as she looked, it was a punch with enough force to send a grown man to his grave in a single blow.

"Hmph!" But the Rokan offered nothing but a scornful snort. It slipped past the punch with ease and swung its sharp claws. Without even looking, Sarah flung her body on instinct alone and evaded the creature's claws. It was, truly, the senses of a beast.

"Kwaaang!!"

With a rousing roar, Sarah hurled her fists in a wild flurry. The Rokan, seemingly unable even to counter her onslaught, was kept busy dodging blow after blow. Sarah was clearly pressing the attack. On the surface, at least.

'That Rokan... it's cleverer than it looks.'

Watching the beast, Luden caught on to its intent and let out a small breath of admiration. The thing was simply waiting. For the moment Sarah, raging away on her own, ran her stamina dry.

"Hey! Quit scurrying off like a coward! Yes!"

Frustrated that it wouldn't fight properly, Sarah shouted, her face twisted with irritation. But there was no chance the Rokan would fall for such taunts. It repeated its retreats with grim discipline, draining Sarah's stamina all the while.

"Ngh...!"

Before long, its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠patience bore fruit. Sarah's movements — fists flying without a moment's rest — slowed noticeably. In that instant, the Rokan's eyes flashed.

"Awoooooo!"

As if its retreats had all been an act, the Rokan swiftly closed the distance and swung its razor claws.

"Uuugh...!"

The offensive had flipped. Sarah, who had been driving the Rokan back moments ago, was now the one being chased. Before she knew it, her body was covered in wounds.

"This won't do. Time to step in."

Luden, who had only been watching until then, rose to his feet. Any more of this and Sarah would be in real danger, so he meant to help. But before he could so much as step in—

"Heh heh. Gotcha, yes."

Suddenly, a thin smile curled across Sarah's lips. The Rokan took it for bravado and struck with its claws once more. But—

CRUNCH!

With the sound of something shattering, a horrific pain came flooding back. The Rokan's bulging eyes were fixed on its own utterly pulverized hand.

"No more running for you! Yes!"

So the beast couldn't slip away, Sarah clamped down hard on its left wrist. Then she drove a powerfully clenched fist up into its jaw.

A long, mournful keen rang out — and Sarah showed no mercy. She seized the Rokan by the neck, slammed it down, and rained her fists upon it.

Thud! Wham! Bam! Thud!

She hammered her fists in without mercy. Teeth shattered, the screams fell silent — and still Sarah did not stop. Unless she choked the life out of it for good, it would not be over. Only when the Rokan's body finally went limp did she spit out her joy of victory.

"Heheh! I won! Yes!"

"...That little rascal. She took those hits on purpose."

Even Luden had been fooled. Sarah had played at running out of stamina exactly as the Rokan intended, luring it in of its own accord. Then, by narrowly taking its blows, she let it work itself into a frenzy — and at the decisive moment, seized it in a single motion. She had taken the Rokan's own scheme and handed it right back.

'She didn't reason that out. That was instinct too, most likely.'

So this was what it meant to be a Black Wolf, young as she was. Without a thought, she grasped by instinct alone how her prey should be hunted.

"Unbelievable. Isn't she stronger than me?"

Checking Sarah's status window, Luden broke into a cold sweat. She was fourteen. Her build was a touch small, but the truth was she was a girl only one year younger than Luden. And yet her stats were monstrous beyond belief. Comparable to — no, higher than — his own, after two years of raising them on quest rewards. However far beastfolk physical abilities outstripped a human's, wasn't this a bit much?

'That's the first S rank I've ever seen.'

Potential: S. He couldn't even begin to fathom how much talent that was meant to signify. And her trait, too, was something Luden had never seen before — in fact, this was the first time he had ever looked at another person's status window at all. Was everyone like this? Or was Sarah something special?

'So much I still don't know.'

Plenty about the Quest remained shrouded in ambiguity. Those were questions Luden would have to unravel in his own time.

"Ahem! Were you watching closely, Luden, yes?"

"Yeah. Watched the whole thing. You've gotten pretty good at controlling your strength now."

"Heheh!"

He patted her head in admiration, and Sarah beamed. Her grinning face was adorable — but the blood smeared across her hands and here and there made for a rather chilling contrast.

'Still, she's come a long way.'

Luden stole a glance at the dead Rokan. It bore plenty of wounds, but skinned properly, the pelt would sell well enough. That was a world of difference from the time she had beaten a Forest Troll into rags — proof that Sarah had learned to control her own strength. Well. She still went a little overboard here and there.

A week had passed between leaving Talon and arriving at the Cobalt Mountains — and all the while, Luden had been raising his new party member, Sarah.