It was Mela's request.
Violet shrugged.
Well, Mela's a friend… and after everything she's done for me, this feels like the right way to repay her…
She reached out to pull the parchment from the board—when someone rushed up beside her.
"Excuse me!"
A man stepped right in front of her, glanced at the sheet, snatched it in one quick motion, and walked off just as fast.
Violet, still frozen with her arm in the air, stared after him.
"Hey… wait!"
He was tall, with two long red ears and elegant, high-quality robes. A long tail of the same color swayed behind him.
A fox-man?
Following him, Violet rushed out of the Guild building and found herself back on the street, trying to spot him in the crowd. She finally caught sight of him in the distance, walking with short, quick steps—and without thinking, she ran after him.
Pushing through the crowd without paying attention to her surroundings, she suddenly collided with something.
Violet bounced back and fell flat on her backside.
In front of her stood a figure clad entirely in steel, who turned to look at her.
The armored figure stepped closer and extended a hand toward her.
"Are you alright, miss?"
Violet looked up at the man offering his hand so gallantly. His voice sounded young. She followed the lines of his metal armor—broad, imposing, beautifully crafted—and felt her cheeks heat up.
He was handsome, with dark, slightly wavy hair. His armor was that of a knight: powerful, refined, expensive.
His eyes were bright, his features soft and refined. He was… stunning.
Violet met his gaze and felt her blood suddenly boil.
"Please, allow me to help you…"
Time slowed.
Violet stared at his outstretched hand, frozen. Everything around her grew distant, muffled.
Gathering her courage, she took his hand, feeling the gentle pressure of his grip, and in a moment she was back on her feet.
"Forgive my clumsiness," she muttered, staring at him with her mouth half-open.
"My name is Alvaris, knight of the Order of the Crystal Blades."
Saying that, the young man bowed deeply.
Violet snapped back to reality.
"No—yes—I mean… I'm fine, thank you!"
Alvaris looked at the girl's face—flushed a deep purple from embarrassment and still marked by the earlier scuffle with little Lia.
"What happened to you? I hope I wasn't the one who caused all this??"
Violet tried to put together some kind of answer.
"No… no, not at all. I, um… had a fight with a small… demonic creature."
Well… it's not exactly a lie…
"Oh, good! That's a relief. But tell me, miss—what is your name?"
"I—I'm Nainai, and this here is Violet."
Violet realized instantly what a colossal fool she had made of herself.
"No—wait—I meant… I'm Violet, and this here is Nainai."
The young knight glanced at the rope tying them together, then at Nainai, who stared back at him with a perfectly serious expression.
Alvaris looked over Violet's clothes and the staff she held in her hand.
"I see. So you're adventurers just returning from a mission?"
"Well… yes…"
The knight smiled at her—kind, gentle, breathtakingly charming—and Violet felt her heart pound.
"As I said, Violet, my name is Alvaris. And this companion of mine is Zeraya."
Violet tore her gaze away from him and noticed a stunning young woman who had been hidden behind his back until that moment. She was tall, with long chestnut hair and bright eyes. She wore armor as well—heavier but more open—and along with the bow on her back, she carried a long blade at her waist.
"P—pleasure to meet you!"
Violet introduced herself, but the girl only answered with an arched eyebrow and a haughty look, offering no reply.
"It has been a pleasure, Miss Violet, but I must take my leave. Our journey leads north, and the road is still long…"
North?
"May I ask why you're heading north—to the borderlands?"
Surprised, Alvaris weighed the question for a moment, considering how to answer.
"The demon army is advancing, Miss Violet, and the kings have summoned the Assembly of Heroes. We are on our way to join the other fighters gathering from every corner of the continent to take part in the battle."
Violet, hanging on his every word, understood almost none of what he'd just said.
"Alvaris, we need to go!"
The knight's companion cut in with a firm voice, touching his shoulder to get his attention.
He answered her with a small nod.
"It was a pleasure, Violet. And once again… forgive me."
With nothing more to add, the knight gave her a brief bow, then turned and joined his companion.
Violet watched them walk away.
Their armor gleamed, their weapons shone with a threatening brilliance. She pulled her simple black clothes a little tighter around herself, feeling an impossible distance stretch between them.
She felt like a tiny black smudge standing beside two shining stars.
…What a disgrace!!!
Violet collapsed to her knees, cursing herself for being utterly incapable of holding a proper conversation with such a gorgeous, charming boy. She could still feel the warmth and the gentle touch of his hand on hers.
She stayed there on the ground, covering her face with both hands while curious passersby stared at her.
Eventually she stood back up and resumed walking, Nainai following along in silence.
The fox-man had long vanished, and Violet had no idea how she was supposed to track him down now.
I guess it'll have to wait for another time…
"We're back…"
Violet closed the door behind her and dragged her feet across the room.
Mela, who had turned to greet them, went pale the moment she saw the state of Violet's face—and the utterly defeated look in her eyes.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing… nothing important…"
She sat at her usual table, and Mela quickly joined her, gently dabbing her face with a small cotton puff soaked in something.
Noticing Violet's terrible mood, the dog-girl disappeared briefly behind the counter and reappeared with more cotton and a small bowl filled with a clear liquid. She began cleaning the scratches on Violet's face with careful, steady hands.
"Ow, that stings!"
"Well of course it does, this is Spirit Liquor. I use it to clean the inn…"
Violet stayed silent, letting Mela tend to her.
"Are you alright, Violet?"
"…Yeah…"
No.
"When I'm done here we can eat, you know? Dinner's almost ready…"
Without thinking, Violet gently brushed Mela's hand away without meeting her eyes.
"I'm not hungry… I think I'll just go to bed…"
With that, she stood and headed up the stairs, leaving Mela and Nainai staring after her, confused, as she disappeared to the upper floor.
Reaching her bed, she curled up beneath the blankets and shut her eyes.
Her mind kept running back to the two knights she'd met—their presence, their shining armor, the way they stood so confidently.
She knew it as well as anyone: the gap between them was enormous.
Those two were trained soldiers, serious, capable, exactly where they belonged.
And Violet… Violet was tangled in a mission she didn't understand, stuck in a city she barely knew, with no clue what her next step should be.
Letting those thoughts drag her down, she hugged her arms around herself as if trying to hold her own body together, sinking deeper into the blankets.
…What am I even doing here?