It was around sunset the following day when Shannon finally arrived in the town of Luther, swaying atop the horse Fyuji rode.
The moment they arrived, she looked ready to collapse to her knees. Sounding like an old woman at death’s door, she let out a groan that resembled a wet rag being wrung dry.
"M-My whole body... it’s aching everywhere, ssu... Nngh..."
Even though she had merely been a passenger, she hadn’t expected the journey to drain her physical strength this much. To keep from falling off, her inner thighs had been constantly tensed; to withstand the jolting, her entire core had been held rigid. She had completely underestimated the toll of horseback riding. She figured she might have lost a little weight today alone. Yay, how wonderful.
As she trembled, Fyuji laughed at her.
"Haha, it can’t be helped. That’s how it goes for people who don’t usually ride."
"Then shouldn't you be the same, Ossan? You're always slacking off, ssu..."
Despite always complaining that he was getting old or didn't have the stamina of a youngster, Fyuji remained perfectly composed without even a hint of fatigue. Even though there was enough of an age gap between them that they could potentially be father and daughter, it was a bit frustrating.
"Well, first we need to get the story at the Guild. Can you walk?"
"H-Hmph, it’s a piece of cake, ssu..."
Refusing to be treated like a child by Fyuji, Shannon steeled herself and straightened her back—all while continuing to tremble.
The small Guild branch in Luther, which appeared to be less than half the size of Shannon’s usual workplace, seemed to be conducting business as usual without any visible commotion. However, the moment Shannon and Fyuji presented their staff IDs, the receptionist’s expression shifted, and they were immediately guided to the reception room.
While they waited on well-made leather sofas, a man eventually entered.
"Thank you for coming all this way. My apologies for the delay."
The speaker was a middle-aged man who served as the Vice Guild Master. He bowed with dignified, polished gestures.
"The Guild Master is... well, his health has been somewhat poor lately. I shall handle things in his stead."
"Well, as long as we can talk, anyone's fine," Fyuji replied.
In contrast to the host, why was this Ossan acting so superior? Even if this branch was tiny compared to the one in the Holy City, the other man was surely older and held a higher rank.
The Vice Guild Master sat down across from them at the guest table. Shannon expected the meeting to start with the usual, worn-out social niceties, but Fyuji took the lead with an uncharacteristically sharp, serious gaze.
"Let's cut the pleasantries and get straight to the point. There's a suspicion of a Clear Approval Accident in the Gouzel dungeon, right?"
"...Yes."
The Vice Guild Master nodded heavily before beginning his explanation.
It all started at dusk the day before yesterday, when an unidentified man suddenly arrived at the Guild.
"—A mysterious man? You mean he wasn't a member of Silvery Grey?"
"No, it appears not. My apologies, we were unable to determine his identity. He claimed he was merely passing by."
Fyuji remained silent, prompting him to continue.
"The man stated quite briefly: 'A party called Silvery Grey defeated a monster believed to be a Boss in the deep layers of Gouzel. One is seriously injured and receiving treatment at the church.' There were also witnesses who saw the man rushing into the church while carrying someone..."
"Ngh..."
Shannon barely suppressed the urge to demand an update on their safety then and there. She couldn't let her personal feelings interfere now. As the staff member who had handled the Clear Approval procedures, she had to grasp the timeline of events with a cool head.
"And then?" Fyuji asked.
The Vice Guild Master let out a low groan before answering.
"...He left."
"Eh?" The sound spilled from Shannon’s mouth involuntarily.
"He left? You mean, he just said that and walked away?"
"Yes... Since Gouzel was a dungeon that had already been recorded as cleared, the receptionist tried to press for more details, but..." The Vice Guild Master looked as if he were fighting off a headache, clearly finding it difficult to repeat the man's words. "...'I only reported what I saw. The rest is your job, isn't it?' he said."
"Well, that's quite something," Fyuji said with a wry smile.
Shannon privately thought the same: What is up with that guy? From that single line alone, she could tell he was a cold person with zero sense of cooperation. If she had been the receptionist handling him, she was confident she would have stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.
"To be honest, we weren't sure we could trust his word... but since an injured adventurer had indeed been brought to the church, we hurriedly made the report based on the man's testimony."
"Couldn't you confirm the details with the church?"
The Vice Guild Master shook his head.
"At the time, we couldn't. Almost all the Sisters were occupied with the treatment of the injured adventurer. Furthermore, we couldn't meet with the other party members... only novice Sisters who hadn't grasped the full situation were available."
"—Eh,"
A sensation like a nasty, snake-like chill crawled up Shannon’s spine.
That... wasn't that strange? If the report was 'one member of Silvery Grey is seriously injured' but their life wasn't in danger, it seemed like an extreme exaggeration for nearly every Sister in the church to be occupied with their care.
No, wait—was it the opposite?
Fyuji also knitted his brows, his voice dropping an octave.
"Wait a minute. You don't mean—"
"...My apologies. We ourselves only managed to grasp the full extent of the situation yesterday."
The clinging chill felt like it was tightening around Shannon's throat, making it hard to breathe.
If 'seriously injured' was too mild a term... if the church had to commit their entire staff to the point where they couldn't even answer a Guild inquiry...
"It seems the injured member was actually in an extremely critical condition. Through a night of intensive treatment, he was miraculously able to survive."
"—,"
"His name was, if I recall..."
The Vice Guild Master spoke the name without hesitation.
The name of one of Shannon’s favorite adventurers.
"—I hear it is Wolka."
"—!!"
Her mind went white in an instant. Before she knew it, Shannon had stood up so abruptly she nearly kicked her chair over.
The sofa slid back slightly, making a harsh, grating sound against the floor. If she hadn't made eye contact with the startled Vice Guild Master, she might have bolted out of the building on pure impulse.
Somehow—barely—her reason held its ground.
"Ngh... S-Sorry..."
Her voice was hoarse. Her vision swayed. Even though she wasn't in any physical pain, it felt like her head was splitting open, and a pitch-black nausea welled up from her stomach.
She desperately endured it. Sit down. I have to sit down—
"Go on, Shannon-chan."
It was Fyuji’s quiet, steady voice.
"You can't just sit here and listen anymore, can you? This Ossan will handle the rest of the talk."
"—B-But,"
Without waiting for her reply, Fyuji looked at the Vice Guild Master.
"Sorry about that. This girl is a friend of the Silvery Grey party."
"...I see. I don't mind; please, go to him. However, as for whether they'll permit a visit—"
"Excuse me, I'm leaving, ssu...!"
The moment she saw the Vice Guild Master nod, she couldn't stand to wait another second. Shannon flew out of the Guild, not even bothering to glance at the startled adventurers as she sprinted toward the hill.
The experienced Sisters worked through the night... he finally, miraculously survived.
To think Wolka had sustained such a catastrophic injury.
She couldn't bring herself to believe it. As the Guild staff member most closely involved with Silvery Grey, Shannon knew better than anyone that Wolka and the others possessed first-class skills that belied their youthful appearance. Wolka, Liesel, Yulitia, and Atri—they were all strong enough to stand against any veteran. Even if the Gouzel accident was real and they had been ambushed by a powerful Boss monster, she couldn't fathom Wolka being hurt so badly his life was at risk.
Her colleagues often joked that Shannon was like a dog who became obsessively devoted once she took a liking to someone.
Silvery Grey was her favorite party. Whenever they came to the Guild, she would drop everything, rush down from the second floor, and greet them as if they were younger siblings coming to visit. They had gone shopping and out to eat together; it was a friendship that went far beyond the professional relationship of a clerk and an adventurer.
That was why she knew exactly how irreplaceable Wolka was to that party.
Liesel was technically the leader. But the person who stood at the center as their emotional anchor was undoubtedly—.
"Wol-kun...!!"
If you're not okay, I'm going to be so mad, ssu...!!
Shannon ran toward the cross at the top of the hill, ignoring the ache in her chest.
/
"Still, that man is a bit concerning."
After Shannon had sprinted away, the Vice Guild Master slowly closed the door to the reception room. Fyuji leaned back against the sofa, crossing his arms and staring pensively at the ceiling.
"Wolka’s treatment went on all night, which means the man left without even confirming if he’d survive. Doesn't sound like an acquaintance."
The Vice Guild Master nodded and sat back down.
"With an injury that severe, it would be unthinkable for an acquaintance to leave without waiting for the results."
This made it unlikely he was a companion exploring the dungeon with them. Besides, there was no reason for an A-rank party to hire an outside helper for a routine investigation of a cleared dungeon.
"If he carried Wolka to the church, he must have been in Gouzel too... but what was he doing there?"
"..."
Assuming the man was neither an adventurer nor a knight.
The only reasons for such an unidentified person to dive into a dungeon would be to hunt for overlooked treasure or to do something they couldn't tell anyone about.
However, it seemed unlikely that a criminal would go through the trouble of carrying an injured adventurer to a church. Furthermore, he had stopped by the Guild as a proxy for the party, made no attempt to steal credit for the Boss kill, and left without asking for a reward. Looking at those facts alone, the man’s actions seemed genuinely altruistic.
"What did he look like?"
"By my estimate, he was around twenty years old."
"Young. Any other features?"
"...My apologies. He kept himself mostly hidden under a mantle. I could only see that he had reddish-black hair and red eyes."
"Red..."
Fyuji recalled a certain rumor.
"...Revanche."
"Revanche? Is that a name?"
"Just a rumor. Word is there's a man who isn't an adventurer or a knight, but who spends his time hunting monsters alone. He’s about twenty, with reddish-black hair and red eyes... and he possesses an abnormal level of bloodlust toward monsters. Like he’s possessed by revenge."
A man of unknown origin and background. Some cursed him, saying they failed their requests because he stole their kills, while others praised him as a savior. Because of his terrifying strength—as if he existed only to slaughter monsters—the name 'The Avenger, Revanche' had taken on a life of its own.
"I’ve never heard of such a person. You are well-informed."
"It's the kind of rumor only those in the know hear. I have my sources."
If it were Revanche, it would explain why he made the bare minimum report and left. Rumor had it he hated interacting with people and wouldn't engage in conversation. No one knew his identity because no one had ever managed to talk to him long enough to find out.
The Vice Guild Master hummed thoughtfully.
"...I see. One of our veterans who saw the man mentioned it. He said just looking at the man made his skin crawl. If he were an adventurer, he’d be at the very top of A-rank at least. Or perhaps—"
"—S-rank?"
The Vice Guild Master nodded.
"Why would such a person be in a cleared dungeon...?"
"Who knows. But they say he’s obsessed with killing monsters. It wouldn't surprise me if he sensed a powerful monster from outside the dungeon and went in to investigate."
"Could such a thing be possible?"
Fyuji hadn't heard of a skill that could sense a Boss monster from outside a dungeon either. It was more realistic to think a drifter looking for treasure had been forced to help Wolka and his party, then fled before any tedious questions could be asked.
But Fyuji had a gut feeling it was Revanche.
"..."
"Is something the matter?" the Vice Guild Master asked, noticing Fyuji’s grim expression.
"Ah, no... I was just wondering what happened to that man. To have such strength at twenty and fight alone without a party..."
"...Well, it probably isn't a happy story."
Obsessed with killing monsters—it wasn't hard to guess what kind of tragedy could drive a person to such singular hatred. And the fact that he fought alone, without anyone by his side...
"But this Ossan is a little relieved," Fyuji said.
"Relieved?"
"The fact that he carried Wolka to the church means he saved him. Even if he’s consumed by revenge, he still has that much of a heart left."
If he truly only cared about killing monsters, would he have bothered to carry a stranger to help? Would he have gone to the Guild to make a report?
Fyuji gave a small, toothy grin.
"Maybe he's not as scary as the rumors say."
The Vice Guild Master allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.
"I hope so. He is still young, after all..."
"Well, we'll never know if it was really him. Let's put the idle talk aside and discuss the specifics."
"Yes. At present, we have suspended all requests related to Gouzel and banned all adventurers from entering. The entrance has been temporarily sealed—"
/
"—What do you mean, I can't see them?"
Shannon’s voice, tight with suppressed emotion, echoed through the small church's entrance hall. She had run up the hill with every ounce of her strength and burst through the doors, only to be met with a flat rejection from the Old Sister on duty.
"Exactly what I said," the Old Sister replied. "I'm afraid I cannot permit visits to the members of Silvery Grey yet."
"I know what happened to Wolka-san. So, even if it's just the other three..."
Before Shannon could finish, the Sister shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I especially cannot let you see them."
"Why not?"
It was frustrating, but Shannon understood why Wolka, who had just narrowly survived, would be off-limits. She just wanted to see Liesel and the others, to hear from them that Wolka was truly going to be okay. She wouldn't be able to rest until she did.
"The three of them are safe, right?"
"Yes, only the boy was injured. That is precisely the problem."
Shannon didn't understand what she meant. The Sister's vague, roundabout way of speaking—as if expecting her to just 'get it'—rubbed her raw nerves the wrong way.
If she could understand just by intuition, she wouldn't have sprinted up here until her lungs burned. She glared at the Old Sister, her eyes demanding a straight answer.
The Old Sister remained unmoved.
"You said you were from the Holy City Guild, yes? Are you here to conduct an official investigation?"
"...There's that, too... but first, as their friend, I want to know they're okay."
"They are physically unharmed. They are simply not in a state to receive visitors."
"Ngh, that's why—!"
Shannon fought down the impulse to shout. She took a deep, shaky breath and bowed her head.
"...Please. I'm truly worried about them."
"..."
There was a long silence as the Old Sister considered her.
"...As I thought, I cannot permit it."
"!"
Shannon snapped her head up. After everything she’d said... she was ready to let out a string of complaints. But she stopped when she saw the unexpectedly gentle look in the Sister’s eyes.
"I am not being cruel for the sake of it. If you met them now, I believe both you and those children would only find more pain."
The Old Sister walked past her and stepped out of the entrance.
"Follow me."
"..."
She led Shannon to a quiet corner of the church grounds, shaded by trees—a place meant for private conversations away from prying eyes.
"We still don't fully understand what happened to those children," the Old Sister began. "But it seems they encountered a monster in that dungeon that was far too powerful. The boy, Wolka, fought desperately to protect the others."
He fought alone to protect everyone while the party collapsed... Shannon couldn't fathom it. To think a party of their caliber could be overwhelmed—what had appeared? A dragon?
But she stayed quiet, listening intently.
"He sustained terrible injuries, and the others have withdrawn into themselves. They are in no state to talk. We are trying to help them open up, bit by bit. If you saw them now, you would surely try to press them for details about what happened. Forcing them to recount it all now would be too cruel."
...She understood the Sister's reasoning.
But she couldn't accept it. If she were in their shoes and Wolka had miraculously survived, she would be crying tears of joy. She would be relieved that the worst was over and doing everything she could to help him recover.
Yet Liesel and the others were so withdrawn they couldn't even speak? Instead of being relieved he was alive?
Why?
"But Wolka-san was saved, right? There's no more reason to worry, right? So why..."
"..."
For the first time, the Old Sister hesitated. Shannon didn't look away, her gaze steady and determined. As the 'older sister' in charge of their party, she refused to go home without knowing the truth.
Finally, the Old Sister gave in.
"...You'll find out sooner or later anyway." She sighed helplessly. "Listen well, and steel yourself. That boy, Wolka..."
The truth the Old Sister spoke next tore through Shannon’s resolve, plunging her into a cold, suffocating darkness.
"His left leg had to be amputated, and he has likely lost his sight in his right eye. It is a miracle he survived such trauma at all. He still hasn't regained consciousness."
"....................................Eh?"
/
"Haa... I’m really starting to hate this job."
Having finished his business at the Guild, Fyuji rolled his shoulders under the twilight sky. He stretched his neck and let out a heavy sigh, looking every bit the man who had just finished an exhausting, thankless task.
He muttered to the crimson sky.
"How am I supposed to report this to the Princess and the others...?"
A Clear Approval Accident in Gouzel. One member of the party sustaining life-altering, catastrophic injuries. And a mysterious man—likely Revanche—who had saved them and disappeared without a word.
There was no way to sugarcoat it; he’d have to write it all down exactly as it was.
Clear Approval Accidents hadn't happened in this country for decades. He could already see the Saint of Hakua trembling with rage, tearing the report into pieces as she screamed.
"Now then... is Shannon-chan still at the church?"
He started walking up the hill toward the cross. As he passed the shops and inns, he spotted a familiar head of amber hair on a bench near the turn leading to the church.
"...Shannon-chan?"
It was her. She wasn't even leaning against the backrest; she sat slumped forward, her fists clenched white on her knees. Her head was bowed so low that he couldn't see her face. She looked more lost and broken than a child who couldn't find their way home.
She didn't look like someone who had just finished her business and was waiting for him. Sensing something was wrong, Fyuji hurried over.
"What are you doing here? Hey, Shannon-chan?"
"—"
She looked up with the hollow, sluggish reaction of a broken doll.
The moment Fyuji saw her face, his expression hardened.
"—What happened?"
He felt his own voice go ice-cold.
There was no life or emotion in Shannon’s eyes as she looked up at him. They were just empty—a terrifying, dizzying void.
But when she realized it was him, a tiny flicker of recognition returned to her gaze.
"Oss...an."
"Shannon. Can you hear me?"
"...I hear you, ssu."
She could at least manage a basic response. Fyuji forced the tension out of his brow and sighed, scratching his head as he sat beside her.
"...What happened?"
He waited ten seconds, but she didn't answer.
"You went to the church, right?"
She gave a small nod. There was only one thing that could have devastated her this much.
"...It’s about Wolka-kun."
Shannon flinched.
That flinch was the final crack in her heart. Her suppressed emotions finally began to spill over.
"Wol-kun... he..." Her voice was a broken sob. "His right eye and left leg... they're g-gone...! He lost them...!"
"...!"
"And he still... he hasn't woken up...!!"
Even Fyuji couldn't find the right words. He didn't know the boy well, but he knew of him. A swordsman with skill so refined it didn't seem possible for a seventeen-year-old. Among the staff, they had whispered that his raw talent with a blade might even reach S-rank.
And now that boy had lost an eye and a leg.
For an adventurer, whose body was their only true asset, those were injuries as heavy as a death sentence. And he was one of Shannon’s favorites.
"Is this... my fault, ssu?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Because... I’m the one who handled the Clear Approval paperwork. If Wol-kun was hurt because of that..."
"Don't be stupid. You just handled the documents. You had nothing to do with the actual investigation."
"But I’m the one who assigned that party! If I had been more careful, if I had chosen a better party..."
Shannon’s voice was trembling so violently it was a miracle she could still form words.
But that was as far as her logic went.
"Wol-kun...!! No... Wol-kun...!!"
After that, she could only repeat his name as tears dripped onto her knees, leaving cold stains.
Adventurers killed by monsters. Adventurers whose bodies were eaten before they could be buried. Adventurers who watched their friends die and took their own lives, unable to bear the grief. Adventurers who disappeared and were eventually declared dead on a piece of paper, their names forgotten by the world.
History was built on the bones of countless such people.
At least he’s alive, some might say. Even without an eye or a leg, he survived.
"...God, I hate this. I really do."
Disgusted with the part of himself that could even think such a cold thought, Fyuji looked up at the sky.
The world didn't change.
Whether a young man lost half his body or a young girl cried tears of pure despair, the world looked down on them, indifferent as ever.