A day had passed since the break-in, but no one had found the culprit.
Guards searched the mansion, the gardens, even the outside areas. But no suspicious person was seen again. It was like the masked woman had vanished into thin air. Lord Alderon doubled the security. Knights were stationed at every corner. The whole estate felt like a fortress.
But even with all that, the tension still hung in the air. Aric and Kail had stayed inside the Sylvanthe mansion for the whole day after the break-in. It felt safe, but also a little boring.
"I think we should go to town," Aric said the next morning.
"Yeah," Kail nodded. "We've been stuck inside too long. Might as well see how everyone's doing."
They told the guards where they were going, then left the estate. The streets of Verdian were busy again. People walked around, selling fruit, bread, and other things at small stalls. Kids played near the fountain. It felt peaceful again.
As Aric and Kail walked through the main road, people started noticing them.
"Isn't that the hero who fought the demon?"
"That's him!"
"Wait, that boy next to him helped too!"
Soon, some of the townspeople came over.
"Thank you for protecting us!"
"You saved my son from the blast!"
"You're heroes!"
Kail felt a bit awkward, but he smiled and nodded politely. Aric smiled too, scratching his cheek.
An old man gave them fresh apples. A woman handed them bread. A few kids even gave them flowers they had picked.
"You didn't have to give us this," Aric said kindly.
"You saved our lives," the woman said. "This is the least we can do."
The part of the town that had been damaged was being rebuilt. Workers were fixing rooftops and repairing walls. Some buildings were still broken, but the town was healing.
As they kept walking, they heard shouting.
"Hey! Let go of me!"
"You guys just got here and already think you own the place?"
"Back off!"
Aric and Kail hurried toward the noise. It came from an open area near the guild ruins. A crowd had formed. In the middle, two groups of adventurers were arguing—and some were even fighting.
One group was made of familiar faces. They were the injured adventurers from the destroyed guild. Many of them still had bandages, but their expressions were angry.
The other group was new. They looked like traveling adventurers who had just arrived in Verdian. Most were between nineteen and twenty-five. They looked strong and well-equipped—long swords, light armor, enchanted bows, and cloaks. Some had their hair tied back, and others had face scars from past battles. There were men and women in the group, all standing tall.
In the middle of the mess, one person stood out. He wasn't fighting or shouting. He had short, messy brown hair and tired green eyes. He looked around twenty, and wore plain leather armor. He had a sword, but it wasn't drawn. Instead, he was trying to stop the others.
"Guys, stop it," he said. "This isn't helping."
Aric and Kail walked up to him.
"What's going on here?" Aric asked.
The young man turned to them. "Ah. You're... the hero, right? And the hero's companion?"
"Yeah," said Aric. "And you are?"
"Name's Leto," he said. "Sorry about the mess. My party just arrived in Verdian this morning. We didn't mean to start a fight, but... things got a bit tense."
The fighting slowed down once the other adventurers noticed Aric. Some of them backed off completely.
"What happened?" Aric asked.
Leto sighed. "It started with a simple question. One of my teammates asked the local guild members how we could take quests if the guild building was destroyed. They didn't mean anything rude... but it came out badly. The locals felt insulted. They said we were trying to take over their town."
Kail nodded slowly. "So that's why they started arguing."
"Yeah," Leto said. "Some of them are still angry after the attack. Tensions are high."
A few of the local adventurers came closer. One of them pointed at Leto. "He's the only one who wasn't acting like a jerk."
Another added, "We're just tired. Our guild is gone. We don't know how we're gonna make money now."
Aric looked around. "Aren't the nobles helping with that?"
"They gave us food and a place to stay for now," one of them said. "But that won't last forever."
"I get it," Aric said. "But fighting each other won't help anything."
The group slowly calmed down. Some sat on crates or the stone steps nearby. Aric noticed that many of the local adventurers still had visible wounds. Some had their arms in slings. Others limped when they walked.
Leto showed his own injuries—light cuts across his arm and side.
"These are from the demon forest," he explained. "We've been traveling for days. Just wanted a place to rest."
"I believe you," Aric said. "Thanks for trying to stop the fight."
"No problem," Leto said with a smile. "And... thanks for stepping in when you did."
Leto told them he and his team were staying at a local inn for a week. "If you guys ever want to talk more, we'll be there."
"We might visit," said Kail.
Aric nodded. "Good to meet you, Leto."
The two groups finally separated. The town quieted down again.
Aric and Kail continued walking through Verdian. They passed by the rebuilt stalls, saw kids playing tag in the street, and visited the fountain in the town square. It was peaceful, and the air felt cool.
After a while, they headed back to the Sylvanthe estate.
But the moment they arrived at the gates, they felt something was wrong.
There were too many guards. They looked tense.
"What's going on?" Aric asked one of them.
"Go inside. Quickly," the guard replied.
Aric and Kail ran in. More knights were gathered in the hallway.
They reached the second floor and froze.
Viorel's room was surrounded by guards and knights. Some maids stood nearby, looking scared. One of them was crying.
Then they saw her.
Viorel was on the ground in front of her door, shaking. Her hands were pressed to her chest. Her breathing was fast and her eyes wide with fear.
Aric rushed forward. "What happened here?"