As Nero and Gareth made their way toward the inn, snippets of conversation drifted through the evening air.
"Can you believe they only sent two mages to stop the wildfire?" one woman said.
"What are the guards even doing?" another replied.
A third woman scoffed.
"I heard the palace only approved two mages."
"Wouldn't surprise me if the king wanted to save money."
The first woman folded her arms.
"I bet the fire was caused by some noble's children during one of their hunting trips."
Nero lowered his voice.
"What's with these nobles and the king? Those women back there don't sound very fond of them."
"You caught that right," Gareth replied quietly.
He casually scanned their surroundings before continuing.
"Most people in this kingdom hate the king and the nobles."
A brief pause.
"We shouldn't be talking about this out in the open."
Nero didn't press the issue.
He simply nodded and continued toward the inn.
Inside the Silver Moon Inn, Sten sat at a table while Joe waited behind the counter.
Both had been waiting for Gareth's return.
And Sten was rapidly losing patience.
He suddenly shot to his feet.
"That's it. I'm going back to the forest."
Joe immediately tried to stop him.
"Don't be stupid, Sten."
He hurried out from behind the counter, only to bump into the doorframe in his rush.
By then, Sten had already reached the entrance.
He grabbed the doorknob and glanced over his shoulder.
"Don't try to stop me, Joe. Gareth might need my help."
Then he pulled the door open.
SMACK.
The door slammed directly into his face.
Sten stumbled backward, clutching his forehead.
"Who the fu—"
From the other side of the door, Gareth stepped inside.
"Who might need your help?"
Joe immediately relaxed.
"There he is."
"Hey, Joe."
Gareth greeted him before noticing Sten holding his face.
"Oh, Sten."
He winced.
"Sorry about that. Didn't see you there."
Nero stepped inside behind him, an amused smile on his face.
"But you clearly heard him."
Joe walked over to check on Sten.
Gareth immediately tried to defend himself.
"Yeah, but I didn't know he was standing that close to the door."
Sten rubbed his forehead.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Then his expression turned serious.
"More importantly, did anyone see you two entering through the gate?"
Gareth finally dropped into a chair.
"Other than Ed and Gray, no."
He leaned back.
"No one saw us."
Sten pulled out a chair and sat down as well.
"Good. Good."
He folded his arms.
"So what happened back there?"
"You two went to deal with the fire, but it's still burning."
Nero poured himself a glass of water.
"We managed to contain it."
He took a drink.
"Ran into a few obstacles, but we got the job done."
Setting the glass down, he added,
"It should burn itself out within a day or two."
Sten visibly relaxed.
"Thank you for taking care of it."
A pause.
"I owe you one."
Suddenly, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the inn.
Everyone looked toward Nero.
It was his stomach.
Nero remained completely expressionless.
"I guess I'm hungry."
Joe burst out laughing.
"I'll bring something out shortly."
He turned toward the kitchen.
"And the two of you should get out of those filthy clothes and take a bath."
Gareth and Nero glanced down at themselves.
They were covered in dirt, ash, and grime.
Gareth grimaced.
"We should head to the Guild's bathhouse after we eat."
He brushed some dirt from his sleeve.
"Clean ourselves up."
Nero didn't look interested.
"I'll pass."
"I can wash myself with a bucket of water."
Gareth frowned.
"What?"
"They have hot water there."
His expression turned almost offended.
"All your stress melts away after a long soak."
Nero raised a hand.
"No thanks."
From the side, Sten smirked.
"Don't tell me you're shy about getting naked in front of other people."
Angelo's voice immediately echoed inside Nero's mind.
"Just say yes."
A pause.
"We'll attract unwanted attention if anyone sees the mark."
Nero looked at Sten.
"Yes."
Sten blinked.
"So you're actually—"
"Yes."
Both Gareth and Sten stared at him.
Neither had expected such a direct answer.
Sten opened his mouth again.
Nero immediately pointed at him.
"Please don't continue this conversation."
A pause.
"I feel like it's about to become very awkward."
Sten slowly closed his mouth.
At that moment, Joe emerged from the kitchen carrying two steaming plates.
He placed them on the table.
"Eat while it's still hot."
Sten immediately pointed at Nero.
"Hey, Joe. Get this."
"This guy's too shy to join us at the bathhouse."
Nero gave him a disappointed look.
"I already told you to stop."
Joe ignored Sten completely.
Instead, he looked at Nero.
"I'm not trying to pressure you."
"But the bathhouse really is nice."
"The hot water feels amazing."
Nero tore off a piece of bread.
"It's a bath."
He dipped it into the soup.
"It doesn't need to feel amazing."
He took a bite and chewed before continuing.
"I have my reasons for avoiding crowded places."
Joe studied him for a moment.
Then he noticed it.
The emptiness lingering behind those silver eyes.
He didn't ask another question.
Instead, he lightly patted Nero's shoulder.
"That's fine."
"You can use the well out back."
"No one will bother you there."
Nero gave a small nod.
"Thanks."
Then he returned to eating.
Sten raised an eyebrow.
"What just happened?"
Joe placed a hand on his shoulder.
"People have their reasons."
His voice remained calm.
"We shouldn't be insensitive about it."
With that, he returned to the counter.
After taking another bite, Nero glanced toward him.
"The food is good."
A small smile appeared on Joe's face.
One that nobody else noticed.
"If you need anything else, just let me know."
"Sure."
Nero continued eating.
Sten looked toward Gareth, hoping for some kind of explanation.
Gareth merely shrugged and started eating as well.
After that, nobody said much.
The only sounds came from clinking dishes.
Meanwhile—
Inside the capital's central hospital, William lay alone in a private room.
Ever since Nero had knocked him unconscious, he had remained asleep.
Now, for the first time since this afternoon, he began to stir.
Slowly.
His eyes opened.