On our way back, an unusual silence settled between us.
But unlike the quiet around me, my mind was filled with questions. There were still many things I didn't know about the mysterious medic walking beside me.
Then I realized something. I still didn't know her name. If I wanted to start a conversation, this was probably the best place to begin.
"By the way, what's your name?" I asked. "Mine's Arin."
No response came. I glanced at her before trying again.
"Hello? Do you not talk much?"
"I don't like unnecessary conversations," she replied after a brief pause. "I only speak when it's important."
Straightforward.
Damn... she really is a introvert.
"Ah... well, if that's the case, then that's fine." I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. "But that might make things difficult."
This time, she looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"If you don't talk, how am I supposed to know what kind of food you like?" I shrugged. "I promised to buy you something to eat, remember?"
After a brief pause, I added, "And constantly calling you 'Medic' feels strange."
There was another reason too.
"If word somehow reaches a noble family that there's a medic capable of healing magic living in the Common Realm..." I said carefully, "...they might start causing trouble for you."
Silence followed. For several moments, she seemed to weigh her options.
Then she finally sighed.
"...Alright."
"My name is Fiona."
There we go. Bullseye.
"Fiona, huh?" I repeated. "That's a really nice name."
As expected, there was no reaction.
Honestly, I wasn't even disappointed anymore.
"Sorry if I seem annoying," I said with a small laugh. "I just wanted to talk."
"...You can ask questions," Fiona said after a moment. "Whether I answer them or not depends on what you ask."
Fair enough. "Well... I know you're not from Valenford. And as far as I know, none of Valenford's medics use healing magic."
I hesitated before continuing. "So... where are you from? And how did you end up here?"
For the first time since we'd started talking, Fiona's steps slowed.
"I belong to the Ibrius Tribe."
As Fiona spoke, the picture slowly became clearer.
The Ibrius Tribe lived deep within the forests near Valenford's northeastern border. Their people were easily distinguished by their cat-like eyes, a trait that often caused others to fear them.
Healing magic, however, was common among them.
Nearly every member of the tribe could use it.
Then, about a month ago...
Dravenmark attacked.
A military force had invaded their lands, looting everything they could carry.
Food.
Supplies.
Even people.
Women and children had been taken away.
Those who managed to escape scattered in different directions.
Fiona had fled alongside one of her companions and eventually found refuge in Valenford's capital. But their appearance only brought unwanted attention.
People stared.
People feared them.
So they hid beneath cloaks and kept their distance from others.
...
The more Fiona explained, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Another victim of Valenford's endless conflicts.
Still...Something didn't add up.
"If two of you escaped together..." I asked carefully, "...where's your friend?"
Fiona fell silent.
Then—"You already know what you needed to know."
Her voice wasn't cold.
But it was firm.
"No more questions."
I understood.
Some wounds weren't ready to be shared.
"...Alright."
I didn't press any further. Instead, another question came to mind.
"This one's unrelated," I said. "About Malta..."
Fiona glanced toward me. "You said you destroyed the Zyphus itself. Does that mean she won't need any medicine afterward?"
"No."
"The disease itself has already been eliminated."
Her answer came immediately.
"All she needs now is proper food and enough rest. Her body will recover naturally."
Relief washed over me.
"I understand."
For someone who disliked conversations, Fiona explained medical matters surprisingly well.
By the time we finished talking, we had already returned to the market district.
Stopping near one of the food stalls, I turned toward her.
"So... what do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine."
"...Anything?"
"As long as it's edible."
I stared at Fiona for a moment. That wasn't particularly helpful. Then again, I barely knew the names of most foods sold in the capital myself.
In the end, I returned to the same stall where I'd eaten earlier that morning.
After ordering, I handed food to Fiona.
She accepted it without hesitation.
"...Thank you."
The words were quiet enough that I almost missed them. Well, at least she had manners.
As I handed over the payment, the stall owner's eyes widened.
"Are you... a noble?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"Gold coins are rare these days," she explained. "Most people don't even get to see one."
Only then did it click.
Right.
The capital's gold shortage.
I'd paid with gold this morning too.
No wonder she'd reacted the same way back then.
...
If anyone could ruin my attempt at staying undercover...
it was apparently me.
After finishing the payment, I turned around.
"...Huh?"
Fiona was gone.
I looked around the marketplace.
Left.
Right.
Nothing.
Seriously?
She disappeared while eating?
Then again...
considering how much she disliked unnecessary conversations, perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.
At least she'd left after getting the food we'd agreed upon.
Before I could think further, movement nearby caught my attention.
Several Royal Guards had entered the market.
They looked tense.
Like they were searching for someone.
"Has anyone seen a young man?" one of them asked the nearby merchants. "Around twenty years old. Black hair."
...
Wait. They were talking about me. I glanced toward the sky. The sun had already begun setting.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
I was supposed to be back at the castle hours ago. By now, Rowan had definitely realized I wasn't resting in my room.
Wonderful.
Without wasting another second, I slipped away before the guards noticed me. I needed to return to the castle as quickly as possible.
But before that...
There was still one thing left to do.
Malta.
Once the guards moved deeper into the market, I quickly purchased enough food to last Malta and Aanu at least until the following day.
Then I made my way back through the familiar streets.
"Phew..."
"That was close."
When I stepped inside Malta's house, I immediately stopped.
Aanu had fallen asleep beside the bed, her small hands still wrapped around Malta's.
Even in her sleep...
she hadn't let go.
For a long moment, I simply stood there. The desperate tears from earlier were gone. The fear in Aanu's eyes had disappeared.
What remained was something much simpler.
Peace.
I quietly placed the food nearby. Waking them felt wrong somehow. As I turned to leave, I gently patted Aanu's head.
My gaze shifted toward Malta.
Toward the small house.
Toward the reality hidden within Valenford's capital.
A quiet resolve settled inside me.
Valenford couldn't continue like this. Not while children had to beg strangers for help. Not while mothers suffered simply because they were poor.
...
"I'll fix this," I murmured.
"No matter how long it takes."
With that promise etched into my heart, I stepped back into the evening streets. It was time to return to the castle.
Somehow, I managed to make it back to the castle.
Thankfully, the guards stationed near the entrance didn't ask too many questions. I had already warned them not to announce my return to anyone.
The real problem wasn't entering the castle. It was avoiding Rowan. If that man discovered where I had been all day, I genuinely feared for my life.
Which left me with only one option. The same route I had used while leaving. My room's window.
Fortunately, the rope I had used earlier was still hanging from the outer wall.
Past me deserved some appreciation. Carefully making my way through the quieter sections of the castle grounds, I eventually reached the spot beneath my room.
Now all that remained was climbing back up.
No witnesses.
No suspicions.
No Rowan.
Perfect.
Gripping the rope tightly, I pulled myself upward until I finally reached the window ledge. Before climbing inside, I cautiously peeked into the room.
No one.
Good.
I slipped inside and quietly closed the window behind me.
"Looks like I made it..."
The tension I had been carrying all day slowly began leaving my body. The moment I relaxed, exhaustion hit me all at once.
A yawn escaped my lips. Then I turned around.
And immediately froze.
"...Elisa?"
Princess Elisa stood near the center of the room. For a moment, I couldn't understand why she was here. Then I noticed her expression.
And suddenly...I understood that I was in serious trouble.
"Hey..." I offered an awkward smile. "What are you doing here?"
Elisa crossed her arms. "Forget about me." Her tone remained calm. A little too calm.
"Where were you?"
"...Well..."
"I thought you were resting," she continued. "Do you have any idea how worried everyone has been looking for you?"
Everyone? Somehow, I doubted Rowan was the one standing in my room waiting for my return. Only then did I notice the faint redness around Elisa's eyes. Had she...
No.
Surely not.
"You... were you worried about me?" I asked carefully.
Elisa immediately looked away.
"It's not like that."
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "I just wanted to know where you disappeared to without telling anyone."
For some reason... Those words made me happier than they probably should have. Since arriving in Valenford, people had relied on me.
People had respected me. People had expected things from me. But this...this was different.
Someone had simply been worried. Because I hadn't come back.
I gently tried calming Elisa down before explaining everything that had happened throughout the day.
I spared no details. By the time I finished, the frustration on Elisa's face had faded considerably.
"...Please don't tell Rowan," I said.
Elisa stared at me for a few seconds before sighing.
"Fine."
Relief immediately washed over me.
"But..." she added, narrowing her eyes slightly, "if you disappear again without informing me first, I won't forgive you so easily."
"...Understood." A small smile appeared on Elisa's face. "You helped people today," she said quietly. "So I'll let this one pass."
The knot that had been tightening inside my chest slowly loosened. Then Elisa seemed to remember something.
"Speaking of Rowan..."
I straightened immediately.
"What about him?"
"He's been searching for you since the afternoon."
"...I'm dead."
Elisa pressed her lips together, clearly trying not to laugh. "That's your problem."
Wonderful.
Then her expression turned serious again. "Oh, there's one more thing."
"Hm?"
"Commander Lopel successfully signed the armistice with Prime Minister Draxil."
For a moment... I simply stared at her.
"...What?"
"The negotiations succeeded."
I blinked. Then blinked again.
Weeks of tension.
All of it...Had finally led somewhere.
"They really signed it?" I asked.
Elisa nodded.
"They did."
The exhaustion weighing down my body vanished instantly. An overwhelming sense of relief surged through me.
Without thinking, I grabbed Elisa by the shoulders.
"We actually did it!"
"Eh?"
Before either of us realized what was happening, I had already lifted her off the ground.
"W-Wait!"
"Arin!"
"Put me down!"
It took exactly three seconds for my brain to catch up with my actions.
...
I was currently carrying a princess. I carefully lowered Elisa back onto the floor.
"Ah..." I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "Sorry. I got a little carried away."
Elisa adjusted her dress without looking at me. "I noticed."
Despite her words, there wasn't any anger in her voice.
If anything... She looked more embarrassed than upset. A silence settled between us. I slowly walked toward the window overlooking the capital.
The evening sky stretched endlessly beyond the castle walls, painted in shades of orange and gold.
For the first time in a long while, the future didn't seem quite as uncertain.
But perhaps...Perhaps things could finally begin moving in the right direction.
"Elisa."
"Hm?"
I kept my gaze fixed on the city below. "It'll still take time."
"There are a lot of things we need to fix."
"But..." A small smile appeared on my face. "Maybe things can finally start getting better."
Elisa stepped beside me. After a moment, she nodded.
"I think so too." The two of us stood there in silence, watching the fading sunlight disappear beyond the horizon.
Eventually, Elisa stepped away.
"Well," she said, returning to her usual composed self, "you should probably go meet Rowan."
"...Do I have to?" Elisa let out a soft laugh.
"Absolutely."
"...I'm definitely getting scolded."
"You deserve it."
I couldn't even argue with that.
Elisa turned toward the door.
"I'll see you later, Arin."
"Yeah."
"See you later."
The door closed behind her.
However, instead of immediately walking away, Elisa paused outside. Her fingers lightly touched her cheeks. They still felt warm.
"...Honestly..."
Muttering something under her breath, she covered her face before quickly making her way down the corridor.
Meanwhile, inside the room, I looked toward the closed door before turning my attention back toward the city outside.
Today had been exhausting.
But somehow...It had also been worth it. Tomorrow, I would have to face Rowan.
For now, though...I allowed myself a small smile. The real work of rebuilding Valenford had only just begun.