I pull the Horizon hood over my head before starting to walk again. The dark fabric smothers part of Azure Prime’s heat, and along with it the excessive glances I’ve been collecting all morning, like the ones from just a moment ago.

A few minutes later, I cross through the doors of the inn run by the Bear Pelts guild.

The place is absurdly comfortable.

The interior blends dark wood, amber lighting, and a constant smell of hot spiced tea. The walls are lined with thick beams and tapestries of worked leather, while the floor creaks softly beneath the boots of the guests. Wide couches surround the small low tables scattered across the main hall, and an enormous fireplace crackles at the far end even during the day, building an atmosphere far too cozy for a world like Thirstfall. It feels more like a holiday refuge than an inn for mercenaries, and that’s exactly why it does so well. It’s the kind of place where, for a few minutes, someone forgets monsters exist on the other side of the walls.

I go straight to the counter.

"I want a meeting room, no bed... and I need acoustic isolation and wave suppression." I want it far from Oliver’s room, to keep his resting place anonymous.

The attendant lifts her eyes to me.

She’s beautiful. Damn it... very beautiful. Fair skin, black hair tied back, golden eyes slightly slanted. But the moment she opens her mouth, a deep and husky voice comes out of her like a punch I didn’t see coming.

"That’ll be one hundred Scales. Paid in advance."

My brain stalls for half a second.

’...that voice doesn’t match her at all.’

[Scales: 50,946 → 50,846]

I set a shard on the counter.

She picks the crystal up calmly, turns it against the lamp light, studies it, and then taps it three times against the wood.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

I frown.

"What’s the problem?"

"You’re ten Scales short."

"What do you mean, ten short?" I rest my hands on the counter. "Any lost soul in Thirstfall knows a shard is worth a hundred."

She points to a small sign behind her.

"We only accept military-grade Scales."

Below it, in smaller letters:

"Common shards are subject to a 10% purification fee."

I stare at it for a few seconds. In my past life, this rule didn’t exist here. But it makes sense. Military-grade Scales carry an absurd OXI purity, far superior to common ones, and the Bear Pelts supply artifacts and weapons to the trenches at the front; stockpiling military Scales speeds up their production, since those don’t need to be refined afterward.

’So they started this early this time... Maybe the two years will arrive sooner than I thought.’

I draw out ten more Scales.

[Scales: 50,846 → 50,836]

She takes the payment and immediately puts on a smile far too professional to look genuine, that artificial courtesy of a clerk trained to handle wealthy clients. The woman props her elbow on the counter and rests her cheek in her palm while watching me, slowly spinning the room key on her fingertip with the other hand.

"If you ever want some company... just call."

I ignore the insinuation completely.

"I’m receiving guests. If anyone asks for Dryden Sands, let them up."

I take the key without waiting for an answer and start up the stairs.

In my past life, things like that rarely happened to me. Maybe it’s the Horizon, or maybe I’m actually starting to look like someone dangerous... or rich. Either way, I learned far too early that no one in Thirstfall offers "company" for free, and the price is never the one printed on the sign. Especially not in places that mix money, guilds, and mercenaries under the same roof.

’Emotional bundle deal. Rent a room, get a side of problems.’

I glance quickly at the number on the key.

"203."

As I climb to the second floor, my eyes naturally sweep across the hall below.

And then I see her.

The hooded girl.

Standing at the reception counter now.

"Oh... brave," I murmur to myself.

She really did follow me all the way here.

I open the door of the room and step inside.

The space is quiet and elegant. The floor is covered by thick rugs in dark tones, and at the center of the room sits a low table surrounded by wide, comfortable cushions instead of traditional chairs. Glass lanterns of blue tint hang from the ceiling, spreading a soft light across the room, while small metal vessels release a faint aroma of relaxing herbs. A long table, enough for six people, occupies the central part of the space, and the window faces the main street.

From there, I can watch the constant flow of people crossing the center of Azure Prime, the same ones I saw from the academy gate, blending into the organized chaos of the city.

I sit on the floor cushion near the window and stay there, watching it in silence.

In the past... I was exactly one of those people down below.

I took any job that showed up. During the day, I hunted monsters until my muscles gave out. At night, I did the dirty work, illegal escort, item recovery, corpse collection... anything that put food on the table. That was the reality of nearly every Rank D without money or enough connections to enter the academy. You didn’t build a future down there; you just postponed the end of it, one contract at a time.

You survived. That’s all.

Hunt by day. Work by night. Sleep little. And slowly destroy yourself.

A dry click at the door interrupts my thoughts, but I don’t get up. I automatically assume it’s Veric or Oliver.

"Come in."

The door opens slowly.

The same girl, wearing gray robes and a hood partially covering her face, steps into the room. The moment I see her better, I understand why she’s been looking directly at me since the very first second.

There’s no hesitation in that stare.

Only recognition.

"Ah..." I lean back slowly against the wall. "So it’s you."

She smiles. A small smile.

"It’s been a while... Uncle."