Chapter 22: Epilogue - Promise

At a corner table in the Adventurers' Guild hall, a young warrior adventurer sat alone, waiting for his companion. He had a laid-back demeanor and a well-built frame—traits not uncommon among his peers—but his ragged appearance left a distinct impression. A large, half-broken halberd-axe rested beside his table, and the worn black leather armor over his clothes, including black arm and knee guards, was scorched with burn marks. A copper adventurer's tag hung from his neck, though his presence suggested more experience than his rank implied. "You look just like a survivor who returned alive from a dreadful quest, Mr. Arezu." The sarcastic remark came from a girl who had suddenly sat across from him. Her pristine outfit—a white blazer over a black skirt, topped with a flowing black robe—made her look like she hadn't been anywhere near the dreadful quest she spoke of. Yet what caught his attention most were her striking blue eyes, which held two black pupils, overlapping and colliding like two worlds bound together. "So, how did the goblin-slaying quest turn out, Lynn?" Arezu inquired, curious how the Adventurers' Guild had graded their quest. "Why would you ask for such an obvious result?" No matter what had transpired, Lynn's remark implied that every quest would succeed as long as she took part in it. At least, that was how Arezu interpreted her confident demeanor and proud smile. Despite the chaos, their party—including the captured adventurers and villagers—had made it out of the goblins' nest safely before the cave collapsed. Though exhausted and chilled by the cold, they managed to reach Mead Village after traveling through the forest at night. There, they were warmly welcomed by the worried villagers and Gwen, leader of the captured adventurers. After spending the night in Mead Village, the party resumed their journey the following morning, reaching the capital of Eileen Kingdom just before sunset—a much faster return compared to their departure for the goblin-slaying quest. They had successfully completed the quest. However, their accomplishment didn't come without collateral damage. Though rescued, the humiliation the captured men had suffered—being defiled by goblins—would haunt them more than their physical injuries. Their recovery would depend not on healing blessings or potions, but on their own resolve and will to keep living. The same went for Alex. He had fallen unconscious after Arezu destroyed the dungeon core, and he hadn't woken up even once throughout the journey back to the capital. Liz and Hannah had temporarily left the party to bring Alex to Von Envier's mansion for proper treatment, leaving Arezu and Lynn to report to the adventurers' guild the next day. "Which leads us to our current situation." Drawing Arezu's attention away from his nostalgic thoughts, Lynn placed a small pouch of coins on the table, flashing a generous yet smug smile. Inside, Arezu found a dozen small silver coins and two large gold coins—a surprisingly generous reward for what was supposed to be a simple goblin-slaying quest for rookie copper-rank adventurers. Seeing his look of surprise, Lynn explained the source of the reward. "Aside from Liz's share—which she kindly donated to us, not that a duke's daughter would care about that measly amount—the guild gave us a bonus for slaying a bunch of orcs and for bringing back the dungeon core... which you messily destroyed, by the way. It served as proof that we cleared a dungeon. A small one, but still." So that's why she took that back then, Arezu thought. "Surprised by my ingenuity, aren't you?" Arezu had many things to say about her comment but chose to hold back, unwilling to praise Lynn or revisit the traumatic memories of the goblin-slaying quest. However... "Also, you won the bet—I mean, the guessing game about those strange goblins. So, I added a bigger share for you. Honestly, I'm impressed you figured out the goblins were using the male villagers as playthings..." "That's exactly what I don't want to remember, so please stop." Cutting off Lynn's disturbing recap, Arezu shifted from one frustration to another. Even with the generous reward, he wasn't sure if it would be enough to replace his scorched gear or his half-broken weapon. "You know we still have the loot from the orcs, especially the balls you cheerfully dismantled." "Putting aside the fact that you're reading my thoughts again, I don't remember any cheerful moment during that 'sacred quest' of yours, Lynn." Pleased that he had humored her dramatic flair, Lynn set aside the topic of Arezu's equipment and moved on. "I think it's now the perfect time for you to fulfill your promise, Mr. Arezu." Smiling cheerfully, chin resting on both hands, she waited. Arezu pondered what she meant—until her eyes flashed with a threatening glare, clearly annoyed that he couldn't recall his own words. "You promised to fulfill one of my requests... for assaulting..." "I know, I remember! So please stop right there!" Lynn's teasing grin betrayed her intent. She was about to falsely accuse him of assaulting her—likely referencing that time he smacked her on the head for her audacity—just to rile up the surrounding adventurers. Arezu feared it would spark outrage from the guild members around them. Yet their horrified expressions as they stared at his direction went far beyond what he expected. What the heck was that? he wondered, only to be interrupted again by Lynn, who brought the topic of his promise back. "So, how about worshipping me?" "You know that's not happening, right?" "Tsk!..." Though clearly disappointed, Lynn set aside her main goal and offered a new deal. "Like I said earlier, we're the only two members left of our temporary party, Mr. Arezu." She paused meaningfully, clearly waiting for him to guess her request. Her innocent smile said she already knew he would agree, no matter what it was. Though reluctant—and especially anxious about whatever he was about to get himself into—Arezu let out a deep sigh and resigned himself to his promise. "Alright then. Please let me officially join your party." "Mhm!... I expect great things from you, Mr. Arezu." "Likewise, Lynn."