Kael watched the survivors with narrowed eyes. Children huddled under makeshift cloaks. Women and elderly people sat silently, staring blankly into space. A few soldiers were still standing, but exhausted, dirty, and without weapons or command.

He walked to where the warehouses had been, now reduced to a pile of smoking rubble. He scoured the remains for anything—wagons, carriages, supplies—but the destruction was almost total.

He returned to the group with a frown and a grave voice.

"Nothing that can take everyone back to Arvalen. No wagons, no horses. Just ashes."

Klee and Asuka stared at him, already understanding the gravity of what was coming.

"We'll need help. And fast." He scanned the civilians. "They won't survive another night here without shelter, food, or protection."

He turned, looking back.

"I'm going to Arvalen. I'll summon the Freedom Guild. They have enough resources and personnel to mount a large-scale evacuation."

Klee nodded seriously. "I'll go with you."

Kael glanced at her sideways, surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." His voice was firm. "The last clue about my mother pointed to Arvalen. If I stay here, I'll lose valuable time. And... they're in good hands with Asuka."

He turned his gaze to Asuka, who remained silent. The breeze ruffled her hair as she surveyed the rubble of the western wall with heavy eyes.

"Are you coming?" he asked, but he already suspected the answer.

She didn't answer right away. When she did, her voice was low but resolute:

"I can't. Not yet. There's someone I need to find. If she's dead, I want to see for myself. If she's alive, I need to bring her back."

Kael stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to read between the lines of her silence. Then he nodded slowly, respecting her decision.

"I understand. Stay alert. Take the soldiers who can help you; I saw some of them among the survivors I rescued. Make rounds and keep the civilians safe. Don't trust that the calm will last."

Asuka nodded. "Take care. Don't take too long."

He smiled slightly. "I'll be back. With reinforcements."

Kael quickly gathered his equipment. Klee was already ready, her small alchemy pouch strapped to her belt and her mana staff on her back. She looked uneasy but determined.

"Let's cut through the northern forest," he said. "If we move quickly, we'll reach Arvalen in a few hours."

The heavy doors of the Freedom Guild opened with an echoing creak. The main hall was bustling, with bounty hunters, support mages, and mercenaries of all stripes clustered in front of the quest boards. The smell of worn leather, smoke, and old paper hung in the air, along with the constant hum of chatter between missions and exchanges of information.

Kael entered with firm steps and a determined gaze. The dried blood on his armor and the dust from the rubble on his boots caught the attention of some in the crowd, but he ignored them. Klee followed close behind, clutching the handle of her bag tightly, observing everything around her with a mixture of anxiety and focus.

The attendant at the central counter—a woman with brown hair tied in a tight bun, wearing a dark blue Guild uniform and thin glasses—looked up as she saw them approaching.

"You're Kael, right? Reconnaissance and containment mission on the western border?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "Mission complete."

The attendant quickly typed something into a magical grimoire floating above the desk, golden symbols swirling around the pages.

"And what's the final report?" she asked, her pen suspended in midair by a spell, ready to jot down.

Kael took a deep breath, his jaw tense. "The village was completely destroyed. Organized orcs, tactically superior. The western wall has fallen. The local lord is possibly dead." He paused, then added: "I managed to save about thirty survivors, including soldiers, children, and the elderly. They are hiding on the outskirts of what remains of the village. We need immediate reinforcements. Food, tents, carriages, healers—whatever you can mobilize."

The woman stopped writing. Her eyes stared at him behind her glasses for a moment, and she seemed to weigh the weight of what he'd said.

"Do you have proof of the destruction and the survivors?" she asked professionally.

Kael didn't respond with words. Instead, he removed a small mana crystal from the inner pocket of his armor. It glowed greenish, pulsing like a heart. He placed it on the counter.

"Magical mission log. I recorded the last moments of the operation and the rescue."

The attendant carefully picked up the crystal, touched it with the tip of the enchanted pen, and a screen of light appeared in the air between them. The image briefly showed the devastation of the village, the wounded being healed, and scenes of civilians emerging from the hidden cave. The woman watched wide-eyed for a few seconds before making a magical gesture to end the playback.

"...Understood. I will begin the rescue process immediately."

She turned to a side corridor, where the mission coordinators' offices were located. With a gesture, a young assistant appeared, and she began dictating quick instructions:

"—Prepare an evacuation caravan with three large carriages, two healing mages, and four patrol scouts. The mission is assigned priority level five. Depart in less than an hour."

As the attendant finished issuing orders, she turned back to Kael, opening a security drawer behind the counter. From there, she withdrew a small, reinforced leather bag, sealed with the Guild's silver emblem.

"Compensation for the completed mission, as per contract: 180 silver coins."

She handed it directly to Kael, who took the bag without checking its contents. He wasn't there for money, and that was obvious on his face.

"And your companion?" the attendant asked, looking at Klee. "Is she listed as part of the mission?"

"She accompanied me, but she's under my care. No need for payment."

Klee snorted. "I fought too, you know..."

Kael gave her a sidelong glance, but she just crossed her arms and sighed.

The attendant smiled slightly before noting something on her magic sheet. "Well... officially, then, the mission is over. And the caravan will be dispatched soon. You can accompany the reinforcements if you wish, or rest for a few hours. You look... exhausted."

"Right," he replied. "Ensure their safety, I'm going home."

The attendant nodded respectfully.

"Rest well."

Klee, who had been silent for a few seconds, touched his shoulder. "Before we leave... I want to check out the central district of Arvalen. This might be quick."

He looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "Your mother's clue?"

She nodded, her eyes more serious than before. "The old librarian said she might have been in a tavern. Somewhere near the bell tower. It's not too far..."

Kael looked at her and sighed... "I know who you're looking for here. Come on, I'll introduce you to the Mongoloid witch who sent me on this mission," he said wearily.

…

The sky was beginning to take on orange hues when Kael and Klee reached the heart of Arvalen. The city throbbed with life, even after everything. Noisy bounty hunters, bards tuning instruments in the squares, merchants shouting offers, and the constant sound of horseshoes on the cobblestone streets gave the central district a semblance of normalcy that contrasted with the chaos of the western border.

But Kael barely registered it. The weight of the day pressed down on him like wet armor—and the mental pain of the System, which insisted on remaining silent after Var'khan's execution, was almost as heavy.

They turned a narrow corner, and soon the creaking wooden sign of the Raven's Tavern loomed ahead, with its crude drawing of a raven perched on a skull. The two-story building was old, with exposed beams, dusty windows, and an air of having seen more war than all the generals in the kingdom combined.

Kael pushed the door open unceremoniously, and the bell above tinkled faintly.

The inside of the tavern was empty—a rare occurrence at this hour. No drunks sleeping on the table, no musicians tuning lutes, not even old Gritus in the corner muttering into his mug. Just the slender figure behind the bar, cleaning glasses with a cloth as dark as the night.

Raven.

Tall, pale-skinned, with long, black hair that fell to her waist like liquid shadow. A single golden eye gleamed beneath her tousled bangs; the other was hidden by a leather headband. Her black dress with purple accents looked like something from a fancy funeral.

She glared at Kael, never stopping the methodical motion of cleaning the glass.

"You're finished. Didn't sleep well, or did you die for a few hours on the way?" Her voice was husky, sarcastic, with that tone somewhere between flirtatious and mocking that she used with everyone... except him.

Kael tossed the bag of coins onto the counter, sank onto one of the stools, and dropped his head onto his crossed arms.

"Fuck you, Raven. Give me five minutes without your voice and I might survive until tomorrow."

Raven arched an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

"Someone lost their temper. So the mission was really tough."

"Mission?" he muttered, without looking up. "Sent me to a massacre. Village in ruins. No backup. Forbidden ritual. And intelligent orcs now. Fuck you again, by the way."

Klee remained near the door, watching the exchange with wide eyes. When Kael raised a hand to indicate something, she looked like a corpse trying to move.

"Klee. This is Witch Raven," he muttered, slurring his words. "Talk to her about your mother. I'm sleeping here. Wake me if she tries to sell me as an ingredient."