Thirty minutes after the battle against Zevron.
Erandel night felt colder than usual. A figure in a dark brown cloak walked alone through the silence, her fingers tightening the hood to prevent the night wind from touching her skin. Her left hand was extended straight forward, and upon her palm glowed a flickering blue fire—Blue Flame—that cut through the darkness around her.
Her steps stopped in front of a rusted old iron gate that had been eaten away by time. With a soft creaking sound, she entered the abandoned cemetery area which was now filled with thin mist.
"The aura of death," she muttered, her voice low yet clear, confirming her identity as a woman. She knelt down, bringing her blue flame closer to the shattered ground. "A great battle must have just taken place here."
"Find object," she whispered flatly.
Instantly, a thin wave of energy radiated from her palm. A few steps ahead, a small glint appeared from behind a cluster of messy soil. The woman walked toward the source of light.
She knelt, her slender fingers picking up a metal projectile that still felt warm. Under the glow of her blue flame, she examined the object closely.
"A silver bullet?" Her eyebrows furrowed behind the shadow of her hood. "This is still warm; is there another Vampire Hunter who just fought?"
She stood back up, looking behind her while gripping the projectile tightly.
"Interesting. I will find you as soon as possible."
The woman clenched her fist tightly, as if squeezing the life out of the trail she had found. The blue fire in her palm extinguished instantly, leaving the cemetery back in the embrace of darkness and freezing mist.
***
Lower District – "Golden Boar" Tavern, after leaving Steelfire Armory.
BRAK!
The sound of a heavy wooden door swinging open was immediately followed by a wave of warm air carrying the aroma of cheap beer, roasted meat, and human sweat. The murmuring noise—a mixture of drunken laughter, clinking glasses, and laborers' debates—greeted Kein and Diane as they stepped inside.
The room was vast, filled with round wooden tables whose surfaces were scuffed and shiny from spilled drinks. Oil lamps hanging from the ceiling swayed slowly, providing dim, yellowish-brown lighting.
Kein scanned the room, his shoulders still felt stiff. The effect of the roadside whisper earlier still lingered in his mind, making every stranger who turned toward them look like a threat. Unlike him, Diane stepped calmly beside him, scanning the room with a curious gaze at the other customers' food.
"It is crowded here," the woman beside Kein whispered. "Find a vacant table, Kein."
Kein pulled a chair slowly, inviting his woman to sit near the wall so her back was protected. While sitting opposite Diane, Kein's eyes reflexively scanned the entrance they had just passed. He ensured no black-cloaked figure followed them into this stuffy oil lamp light.
"Excuse me—" said a woman who had not finished speaking.
Kein firmly gripped the woman's wrist before she could finish her sentence. His movement was so fast and rough that it terrified his target.
"Ahh, sorry. I startled you, Sir," the woman said, her voice low and hesitant.
Kein froze, his breath racing. His sharp eyes stared straight at the figure he had just ambushed. However, instead of a cold black-cloaked figure, he saw a young girl with shoulder-length brown hair covering her long ears—an Elf dressed as a waitress.
"Scaring a girl is not good, you know, Kein," Diane said softly, her voice flat—sounding like a mockery.
"—Sorry."
His face turned red to his ears; he immediately looked away from the waitress—pretending to be busy tidying the position of the weapon bag under the table to hide his embarrassment.
"Welcome to the Golden Boar," the Elf said kindly—as if she had already forgotten the previous incident. "What would you like to order?"
A piece of faded brown paper, with dry ink on it, was placed on their table.
"Please give me a piece of steak with sweet sauce on top," Diane said gracefully. Her fingers skillfully touched the paper she held. "And, the best tea here."
"I will just have Ale," Kein said softly, without looking at the elf beside him.
The waitress recorded the order quickly and bowed politely before disappearing behind the crowd of customers. A momentary silence enveloped their table, with only the low noise from the next table.
Diane folded her hands on the table, staring at Kein with her ruby eyes that glinted in the oil lamp light.
"So," she began with a low tone demanding an explanation. "Who is the 'ghost' you were looking for at the entrance earlier, Kein? You almost broke that poor girl's bone."
"...A—"
Kein's sentence was cut off in the air. A girl with light yet steady steps stopped at the side of their table.
Her appearance was quite striking among the gloomy drunks in the room. She wore a crisp white shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbows, layered with a dark green suede vest with dimly shining copper button accents. Light brown trousers and dark leather knee-high boots completed her practical attire.
A longsword with an old leather scabbard hung diagonally at her waist, occasionally bumping softly against her thigh as she moved. Her deep maroon hair was left to flow long to cover her back, framing her bright and friendly face.
"Excuse me, Sir and Madam," the girl greeted.
Her voice sounded bright, as if she had just received good news. "I just returned from the Guild, and it seems this place is completely full. Can I join you here so I don't have to eat while standing?"
She gave a very polite small smile, looking at Diane and Kein alternately with a gaze as if seeing them for the first time.
"My name is Zenith, I am a nineteen-year-old Half-Elf, you know," she said while showing her ears; like a normal human's, but slightly pointed at the ends. "And I am a solo adventurer, though occasionally I join other groups too."
"Sit down, Zenith," Diane said calmly. She gave a chin gesture toward the empty chair, while her fingers elegantly folded the previous menu paper.
Zenith smiled widely, showing a neat row of teeth. "Thank you very much, Madam. You are truly my savior," she said while pulling the wooden chair beside Kein. She slowly leaned her longsword against the side of the table, ensuring her weapon did not block the way.
Just as Zenith sat down, the Elf waitress returned carrying a wooden tray. She placed a cup of jasmine tea that emitted a calming aroma in front of Diane, and a large glass of frothy Ale in front of Kein.
"Ah, perfect!" Zenith raised her hand slightly, stopping the waitress's step. "Pretty lady, please bring me one large portion of Honey Boar, and an Ale."
"Right away," the waitress replied with a quick nod before disappearing back toward the kitchen.
Zenith then shifted her gaze, looking toward the long black bag leaning near Kein's feet. "A large sword," she muttered with a tone of sincere admiration. "It must be heavy carrying that along the hilly streets of Erandel."
She looked up, staring at Kein who was still frozen with a hardened jaw. Zenith realized how the young man's eyes kept moving warily, and his hands occasionally shook finely on the table.
Diane, who had been observing her companion's restlessness, gave a thin smile full of satire. She sipped her tea slowly before saying, "Forgive him, Zenith. My companion here sometimes forgets how to be human in public. He is more like a guardian statue given too much lubricating oil; stiff, silent, and always thinking everyone in this room is a hitman."
Kein remained silent, but Diane's recent insinuation made him even more aware of how tense he was at that moment.
Seeing this, Zenith reached out without hesitation. She softly patted the back of Kein's hand which was clenched on the rough wooden table. Kein startled, almost pulling his hand away roughly, but the warmth from Zenith's palm held him.
"Erase the anxiety that strikes and give peace to me. Relief," Zenith whispered in a very soothing voice.
Instantly, a wave of cool energy flowed from Zenith's palm, seeping into Kein's skin and directly traveling to his nerve center. The heavy burden that had been pressing on Kein's shoulders seemed to evaporate just like that. His racing heart rate returned to normal, and the fog of paranoia enveloping his mind slowly cleared, leaving an unfamiliar yet comfortable feeling of calm.
The waitress returned, placing a porcelain plate containing a large steak that was still sizzling in front of Diane, and a plate of honey-scented Honey Boar in front of Zenith.
Zenith released her grip and took her glass of Ale again. "Sorry if I am being presumptuous, Mr. 'Statue'," Zenith joked, following Diane's way of speaking earlier. "But you look like a person carrying the weight of the whole world. At least, finish your drink with a lighter feeling."
She turned toward Diane, giving a friendly wink that seemed to acknowledge the woman's authority. "Your protector is very dedicated, Madam. But a protector who is too tense can get exhausted before the enemy actually arrives."
Kein exhaled a long breath—the first breath of relief he had felt since setting foot in this city. He stared at Zenith with a much softer expression.
"Thank you," Kein muttered shortly.
"You're welcome," Zenith replied cheerfully while starting to cut her honey boar meat. "Now, we can eat in peace, right?"
Diane cut her steak slowly, her precision fine and elegant like a noble. A piece of meat entered her mouth; no trace of a stain was left at the corner of her lips. The young man in front of her just watched her eat, while sipping his Ale occasionally as his eyes kept watching.
"Sorry, if I may be presumptuous, may I know your names?" Zenith asked in between bites.
Kein lowered his glass slowly. The residual effect of the calming magic made him too tired to rebuild his defensive wall. He turned, staring straight at the foreign Half-Elf beside him.
"My name is Kein," he answered with a much softer voice, then his gaze shifted briefly to the woman in front of him. "And she is... Diane."
"Kein... and Diane," Zenith repeated, spelling the names as if weighing the sound. She smiled widely, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the young man. "Short names, but strong."
With a surprising casual movement, Zenith slid her wooden chair closer—narrowing the personal space between them until almost none was left.
"Are you also an adventurer, Brother Kein?"
Without hesitation, the girl leaned her body, resting her elbow and arm just like that on Kein's broad shoulder—as if she had known him for a long time.
"That bag beside you..." Zenith glanced casually at the long black leather bag on the side of Kein's chair. She propped her chin with one hand, staring at the young man intently. "Is its content a longsword too, Brother Kein?"
Kein softly patted the surface of the leather bag. He did not change his expression, only nodding briefly to keep his charade safe.
"Yes, something like that," he answered shortly. "A rather heavy blade."
"That's good," Zenith muttered, the corners of her lips rising to form a sweet smirk. "We have the same taste it seems, Brother Kein. Nothing beats the sensation of clashing iron directly, right?"
The girl straightened her back, pulling her elbow slightly so it didn't press too hard on Kein's shoulder, but her sitting position remained intimate—close enough that Kein could smell the warm and natural aroma of musk from her neck.
"Brother Kein. Since you are also a sword user... and it seems you are free," Zenith lowered her voice, staring straight into the young man's pupils. "Do you want to join me for a hunt tonight? I just took a Quest from the Guild."
Kein was about to open his mouth to refuse—his first instinct was to avoid trouble and rest immediately—but the sound of a tea cup being placed back on the saucer cut off his intention.
Diane had finished her meal. She wiped the corner of her lips with a graceful movement, then shifted her red eyes' gaze to Zenith.
"What kind of work?" Diane asked calmly.
"A pack of Hellhounds," Zenith answered, now looking at Diane but her finger pointing casually at Kein. "They have been seen wandering on the outskirts of Erandel forest tonight. Those creatures are agile, Madam. It's a bit troublesome if I have to chase them alone. I need someone like Kein to divide their attention."
Hearing the word Hellhound, Diane's gaze shifted slowly toward Kein.
Hellhound... A speed-type monster with the fire element. The perfect opponent to train Kein's still stiff reflexes and test the durability of the Psionic Blade in a real fight. Rather than letting her Spawn grow rusty with safe training, a life-and-death battle was the best teacher.
A thin smile, almost invisible, was etched on Diane's lips.
"Sounds interesting," Diane said, her voice smooth yet containing an absolute decision. "Kein needs a bit of exercise after sitting still too much on the train. We are in."
Zenith exhaled a breath of relief, her smile widening sincerely as she looked at the young man beside her. "Thank you, Brother Kein. You are truly my savior."
Kein could only let out a long sigh, staring resignedly toward Diane, who was back to sipping her tea casually as if she had just agreed to an afternoon stroll schedule, not a hellhound hunt in the middle of the night.