The Iron Bronze Duo
The phrase [BOND has been released] echoed in Er’s ears as her sword clattered to the ground with a sharp metallic ring.
A moment ago, the overwhelming force that had coursed through her veins had vanished without a trace. The swordswoman, now trembling from exhaustion, muttered in a dazed voice.
“Impossible…”
The corridor stretched before them, a gruesome aftermath of the fight. The skeletal remains of a towering monster, still smoldering and wreathed in white flames, lay scattered. The path itself was destroyed, chunks of earth raining down from the ceiling. The floor, once a solid stone slab, was now riddled with countless fissures, incapable of bearing any further weight. The walls had collapsed inward, spilling decades of accumulated dirt.
Er’s voice cracked as she stared at the devastation she had caused.
“What… just happened?”
She could not deny it. Every inch of this ruin was not her doing. With only a trickle of mana in her veins, she was nowhere near strong enough to unleash anything this catastrophic.
Magic, perhaps? But Er had always been a pure swordswoman. Even the most skilled fighters who toyed with arcane sword arts were far beyond her. This had to be Ahin’s doing—his hidden power, the Philanthropist curse that forced him to heal instead of harm.
“Ahin, what on earth…!”
Er spun around, searching for her partner. But before her question could fully form, a wet choking sound cut her off.
“Cool-ack! Cool-ack…!”
Ahin lay sprawled on the cracked floor, coughing up streams of pitch-black blood. Panic surged through Er. She had no time to linger in shock. The poison still lingered in Ahin’s body, slowly devouring what remained of him. She rushed forward, checking his pallor with trembling hands.
Ahin looked up at her, forcing a smile that was too weak to be convincing.
“Er… you’re too strong…”
“Shut up! I’m dragging you out of here right now—do not move a muscle!”
Er snatched her weapon and tried to lift him, but his weak voice stopped her.
“Hold on… there’s still something left to do.”
“What kind of thing?! We have to leave before—”
“That.”
Ahin raised a trembling finger toward the far wall. Er followed his gaze and saw it: a single black crystal the size of a man’s fist, sitting amid the skeletal rubble.
It was far too large for any ordinary monster drop. Unlike the pale stones she knew, this one pulsed with an unnatural, ominous darkness. If it had not been glowing from the flames, it would have been invisible in the shadows.
“Damn it… that thing’s way too strong. Why is a skeleton carrying something this big?”
“It’s a mana crystal?”
“Color’s off, but…”
“Mana crystals change color after long exposure.”
Ahin’s memories flashed back to his temple days.
- Ahin, look! This is a mana-drained crystal! Touching it can be deadly! Keep it safe! - Don’t throw junk like that at me!!
Shaking his head to banish the bad memory, he continued.
“…If we leave it here, the same thing will happen again. I can already guess why there were so many zombies.”
The crystal held an overwhelming amount of mana, enough to corrupt the entire corpse and turn it into an undead monster.
“That’s exactly the achievement condition for this quest.”
Er reached for the crystal, but Ahin leaned against her shoulder, whispering.
“Bless.”
At the same moment, a gentle light wrapped around Er’s body. The only way to shield the crystal’s mana safely was through this skill. She barely had time to react.
“Ahin! You’re hurt—why are you—?!”
“It can’t be touched… I have to purify it or protect it with my power—cool-ack, cool-ack!”
Er’s heart pounded as she hurriedly stuffed the crystal into her pocket and hoisted Ahin onto her back.
“Fine, fine! Just stop talking and hold on!”
“Wait… we should check the inner part of the mausoleum…”
“That’s later! Right now we’re getting you to the healing shrine!”
Er ran toward the exit, each footstep echoing on the broken floor. The once-luminous skeletal remnants had already gone dark. The underground mausoleum fell silent, wrapped in shadows and stillness.
Time had passed. A cloaked figure stood motionless in the center, staring at the pile of ash that had once been a skeleton. The figure slowly turned and walked deeper into the tomb, vanishing into the darkness.
From that day forward, no one in Carpe’s outer cemetery ever spoke of zombies again.
●
Er’s eyelids fluttered open to a strange ceiling. She sat up on the bed, still dazed from the ordeal she had never expected to survive.
This was the central healing shrine in Carpe. The poison she had carried had been too advanced for any local shrine to treat. Er had poured everything into carrying him here, and now she stood at his bedside.
“You were only seconds away from death.”
The speaker was Er herself, freshly returned from the guild. Her golden hair, usually neat, now looked damp and slightly messy, as if she had spent the entire time tending to him.
“W-wait! This is a healing shrine, right? I didn’t mean to bring you in like that— I just—”
“…I didn’t say anything.”
“T-that’s fine! Let’s drop it!”
Er waved her hands dismissively, then changed the subject with forced cheer.
“While you were being treated, I went to the guild. I told them everything—about the zombies, the incredibly strong skeleton, and the black magician connection. They should have handled the paperwork.”
“…What about the crystal?”
“The guild wants a sample for research. They—”
“You sold it?”
“No, I kept it.”
Er casually lifted the corner of her pouch, revealing the black crystal inside.
Ahin stared at it, surprised.
“You didn’t sell something that big? It should be worth a fortune.”
“I thought we should decide together, since it’s a party quest.”
“Me? Why would I—”
Er avoided his gaze, cheeks faintly pink.
“It’s a party. Your opinion matters.”
“That’s kind of you, but—”
Ahin’s smile faltered. He had always assumed Er would handle spoils without asking.
“…Honestly, I was the one trolling this quest.”
“Trolling? Wait—did the inner chamber really have a troll?”
“No, not that. I was just swinging my sword everywhere without thinking.”
Ahin rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.
“It took forever just to kill one zombie. How did I even have the courage to keep going like that?”
His golden eyes, usually sharp, now looked strangely vulnerable.
“If I hadn’t been such an idiot—”
“…I know. That’s why I’m glad you told me. Since we’re talking, why did you do it?”
“U-uh…?”
Caught off guard, Ahin turned his face away, muttering.
“Just… wanted to look like I was busy.”
“What? Busy…?”
“I wasn’t really a porter this time. I thought I should contribute somehow…”
Ahin’s sheepish tone made him sound like a scolded child. Er’s lips twitched with amusement.
“So you could claim more of the reward when we split the payment?”
“…”
Er let out a soft laugh she couldn’t hold back.
“We would have split it evenly regardless.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because without you, this quest would have been impossible. Besides—”
“Isn’t that the opposite? If you weren’t here, I couldn’t even start it.”
“That’s not how it works. With your power, I could have taken anyone—”
Er froze. Ahin’s bright golden eyes widened in surprise.
“Er, it’s because you’re you that this was possible.”
“…What?”
“Other people don’t see how rare my ability is. You said it yourself—my skill is extremely rare.”
“That’s true…”
“I’ve heard the same warning from people who don’t trust anyone: never reveal your power to someone you can’t fully believe in.”
Ahin’s voice softened, recalling his former teacher.
“One day I’ll trust you completely.”
“…That’s a pretty embarrassing thing to say now—”
“A sign like that was carried right in the middle of the square?”
Er’s expression turned incredulous as she remembered the handmade poster.
[Party Seeking: Healing Available]
“You actually put that up?”
Ahin paused, lost for words for a moment, then grinned.
“…I’m at least decent at basic medical arts. I’m still a temple-trained priest, after all.”
“And you were trying to eat me alive with bandages?”
“…”
Er’s sharp words left Ahin momentarily speechless. When he finally spoke, it was with a sheepish laugh.
“Still, I’m surprised you trust me so much—”
“Of course I do! Who else would I trust?”
“…”
Er looked away, a rare blush coloring her cheeks.
“That’s… true?”
Ahin began, voice warm and sincere.
“You were the first one to form a proper party with me. You took my back when that idiot attacked. You were the one who pulled me back from the brink of death against the lizardmen. You paid for the potions when I couldn’t—”
“…Honestly?”
“Someone who feeds you free meals can’t be a bad person!”
“Don’t compare me to others. You’re the real deal.”
“You’re saying that?”
Ahin’s teasing words made Er turn her face away, a bright laugh bubbling up.
“Hehe… it still sounds nice to hear. It means you only trust me.”
“Exactly. So please, keep trusting me.”
“…Even from now on?”
“Why? You planning to abandon me?”
Er’s lukewarm reaction made Ahin’s face pale.
“W-wait! I’ll do everything you ask! Please don’t abandon me! I don’t have a rabbit-like kid to feed or a fox-like wife to protect, but—!”
“One more word of nonsense and I’ll throw you out myself.”
“…We’re still a party, right? I don’t have anywhere else to go… I mean, where am I supposed to find another healer?”
His golden eyes looked unusually anxious, and Er’s expression softened instantly.
“Haha, stop worrying. Just take care of your body. I’m not bringing someone with lingering injuries.”
“Thank you… Er, you’re the only one.”
“H-huh… enough with the sappy lines.”
Er turned her back, cheeks still flushed, and walked toward the door.
“Rest well. I’m going now.”
“W-wait! See you later!”
She glanced back and caught Ahin waving enthusiastically, his clumsy smile somehow endearing. He was clearly trying to flatter her, but the moment she left, the memory of his foolish grin made her lips curve into a smile she couldn’t erase.
“See you later.”
Er wondered what the next meeting with that man would look like. Her smile lingered long after she left the shrine.
●
A watchtower guard post stood at the edge of Carpe, its guard duty now heavier than ever.
The soldiers staring at the body brought in earlier were grimacing.
“Damn… he took a beating. Look at the state of him.”
“Looks like kobolds did this. Anyone left in the forest?”
“Probably from deep in the woods. He was no ordinary adventurer. Tsk tsk.”
The corpses they had seen over the years had never looked this bad. The man’s body was torn and mangled, skin stripped from his face. One arm was missing entirely, while the lower leg bore teeth marks and jagged wounds. Yet somehow a tattered cloak still clung to his frame, absurdly intact for such a ruined corpse.
“That cloak looks sturdy. Shape’s still there.”
“Don’t even think about it. Smells like bad luck.”
“Hey, don’t touch it. It might be cursed.”
One soldier chuckled. “Leave it. We’ll bury him and move on.”
“Yeah, kid. Go fetch a priest from the temple to—”
“Soldiers, you don’t need to—”
A calm voice interrupted them. A woman in traveling clothes and a short-sleeved priestly robe stepped forward. Her black hair flowed like the night sky, contrasting with the piercing blue eyes beneath it.
“Who—”
“A priest passing by,” she said smoothly.
“A priest…? But—”
“That’s right. Though my outfit is slightly different… in essence, I am a priest.”
The guards finally noticed the silver rosary gleaming at her chest. A priest’s symbol. No one this oblivious could ever become a city guard.
“Priestess, how did you—”
“There’s someone I’m looking for.”
“Surely not—”
The soldier scanned the body one last time and winced.
“That’s… a friend of yours, right? What a shame—”
“No. That’s not the person I’m looking for. The build is different, the height is different… and the smell is different too.”
“Smell?”
The priestess narrowed her eyes, studying the corpse.
“But there is one thing that bothers me…”
She pointed at the cloak.
“This cloak… it’s something I was looking for.”
“The cloak?”
“Yes. The last person I saw wearing it was the one I’m searching for. I didn’t notice the tracking spell on it, and he was wearing it so casually…”
She smiled faintly.
“Where did my brother go, leaving only this cloak behind?”
---