The carriage rumbled softly along the dirt road, wheels creaking against the dry earth.
Sunset was nearing, painting the world in strokes of gold and crimson.
Elsa sat by the window, her chin resting against the cool glass.
The fields rolled by lazily, bathed in amber light.
The rays caught in the dust kicked up by the carriage wheels, turning it into a trail of shimmering mist.
"You should get a shower as quickly as you can," Elsa said quietly, her voice almost blending with the carriage's steady rhythm.
Erik leaned back into the worn leather seat, stretching his legs out lazily.
"Yeah... I should." He smiled faintly, tilting his head to glance at her.
"But hey — will you be okay?
After they find the stash... it won't take long before they realize Evin's body's missing."
Elsa didn't look away from the window.
The sun was sinking lower, bleeding into the horizon.
"Nah," she said with a soft exhale. "I have some people that owe me. Big time."
Her fingers lightly traced a foggy line on the glass.
"With their help, it'll be buried down. Quietly."
A slight smirk touched her lips.
"I'm retrieving noble goods, after all. Wouldn't even be surprised if they gave me a promotion for it."
Outside, long shadows stretched across the road like sleeping giants.
Erik chuckled, resting his arms behind his head.
"Really now... nobles really do live in a different world than us normal folks."
He let the silence settle again, letting the calm seep into his bones.
The sunlight warmed the carriage's wooden frame, filling it with a soft, golden glow.
It felt like sitting inside a dying campfire — not hot, not burning — just... comforting.
After a long breath, Erik spoke again.
"By the way, Elsa... there's something else we need to talk about."
"Hm? What is it?" she asked without turning, still watching the horizon.
"You said you came to Hoza village to investigate vampires, right?"
"Yeah," Elsa said simply.
"Well... Evin and his friends — they were human."
Erik paused, choosing his words carefully.
"But there was... vampire blood mixed into them."
Elsa turned sharply, her blue eyes wide in the golden light.
"What?"
"If we'd faced them at night," Erik continued, "I would've had a real bad time.
Under the moonlight, their strength would've been way stronger."
Elsa frowned, leaning back into her seat.
The carriage jolted slightly over a rock, but neither of them seemed to notice.
The calm was too thick, too heavy to be disturbed.
"Hmm..." Elsa murmured, piecing it together.
And then — her expression lit up.
"Oh! It all makes sense now.
I heard the attacks only ever happened at night."
A short laugh escaped her lips, light and almost musical.
"For once... a clue that actually makes sense!"
Erik smiled at her, but said nothing more.
Instead, he turned to the window, letting the silence say the rest.
The sun was almost touching the hills now.
Golden beams spilled into the carriage, painting Elsa's hair into something almost unreal — a gleaming, soft gold, like strands of woven sunlight.
Elsa lowered her head slightly, hiding her eyes behind a fall of golden hair.
"Thanks, Erik," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
"Thanks... for everything."
She bowed her head to him, a small, sincere gesture, but it carried the weight of years.
Erik leaned forward, elbows on his knees, gaze serious now.
"Elsa," he said, voice steady, "I need your help with something."
She raised her head, curious.
"Something only you can help me with."
Outside, the sun dipped lower — and for a moment, the world was neither day nor night.
Just a warm, endless in-between.
The carriage rolled onward, slow and steady, carrying them towards the central.
---
The carriage rolled to a gentle stop in front of the Adventurers' Guild.
Erik stepped down, boots crunching against the gravel.
"See you soon, Erik," Elsa called from the window, her voice soft but steady.
He turned back in time to catch her small smile — the carriage door closed with a solid thunk, and the horses clopped forward, carrying her toward the noble grounds.
Erik watched until the dust swallowed the carriage from sight.
He let out a long breath, squared his shoulders, and turned toward the guild entrance —
And immediately froze.
There, standing just outside the doors, arms crossed and cheeks puffed out in a furious scowl, was Shasa.
Oh god, Erik thought,
she's pissed.
The moment their eyes met, Shasa spun on her heel and jolted into the building, the doors swinging wildly behind her.
"Shit," Erik muttered, dragging a hand down his face.
He followed her inside, shoulders hunched like a man walking to the gallows.
Shasa sat near the counter, arms still crossed, foot tapping against the floor like a ticking clock.
Her face was flushed red — her official "angry mode" — and she wasn't even pretending to hide it.
"Hey, Shasa," Erik said, trying for casual. "Looks like you're done with your work?"
No answer.
"Huh... Look, I'm sorry.
I should've talked to you before leaving." Erik scratched the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile.
Shasa hmphed loudly, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a dramatic flair.
But after a long, tense moment, she reached into her satchel and shoved a letter into his chest.
"Good," she snapped. "Now, here."
Erik caught it clumsily, looking down.
The seal on the envelope was familiar — sharp, clean, and official.
It's from Evalyn.
His heart skipped a beat.
---
In the bustling heart of Velhein, atop the grand headquarters of the Merchant Guild,
Kalsi Ilyesfil stood alone on the balcony, his sharp eyes fixed on the distant mountains.
The sunset here was harsher — colder — turning the stone buildings below into jagged silhouettes.
A hurried voice broke the stillness.
"Boss!" a man called out, breathless as he ran up behind him.
Kalsi didn't turn.
"I got the official confirmation," the man said quickly.
"The King of Runa — it's true.
He's sick. Real bad.
They say he has maybe, five months left."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kalsi's lips.
"And the dungeon operations?" he asked, voice smooth as silk.
"All proceeding as planned, Boss!
No issues. Our people have already started moving."
Kalsi nodded slowly, the weight of the coming storm heavy in the evening air.
"Good," he said.
"Keep it up."
Without another word, Kalsi turned from the balcony and disappeared into the shadows of the guild halls.
There were messages to deliver.
Deals to seal.
And a kingdom, ripe for the taking.