Dawn's light spilled across the vast forest, painting its edges in pale gold.
At the farthest outskirts, Marfin walked in silence beside Elfrez and Ryden.
Mirai was tied to his back with a soft cloth, sleeping peacefully,her cheek pressed against his shoulder as a thin line of drool escaped her lips.
As they pressed on, Ryden studied Marfin from the corner of his eye, his steps never slowing.
"You look tired. I can carry her for you."
He said it as he extended his single hand.
Marfin slapped it away.
"No need. I can carry her forever if I have to."
He glanced sideways, rolling his eyes.
"Besides, I wouldn't hand my sister to a creep—someone who'd probably slice her head off the moment his so-called duty demanded it." His tone dripped with sarcasm.
"You keep clinging to the same mistake," Ryden replied with a low hum. "Let it go already."
"If it bothers you that much," Marfin shot back, "maybe you shouldn't have pointed that sword at us in the first place. You could've tried having a conversation instead."
Ryden exhaled. "I know. I acknowledge that it was my mistake."
After a brief pause, he added calmly, "But if I were given another chance, I'd do the same thing again. You know it was caution."
He glanced ahead, voice steady.
"So stop digging at it and trust me… and quit acting like 'Those type of womens' who latches onto a single mistake and drags it along for a lifetime."
'Trust you?'
The question lingered in his mind as his gaze drifted upward.
[Relationship Gauge: 50% — Trustworthy]
'I mean, I could…'
'But teasing this idiot somehow lifts my mood', Marfin lampooned inwardly.
Withdrawing his gaze, he focused ahead.
As they gradually neared their intended destination, the stench of blood and gore reached their noses—yet it failed to draw any reaction from them.
They continued onward until they arrived at the site where a massacre had occurred the previous night.
However, betraying Marfin's expectations, the place itself was unnervingly clean.
If not for a few faint bloodstains and scattered carriage debris, no one would have ever concluded that a bloodbath had taken place here.
"I've never seen a battle on this scale before," he said slowly. "After all,I usually avoid anything dangerous… but I'd guess another horde of monsters dragged the bodies away."
"Everyone is a slave to hunger," Elfrez said nonchalantly as his eyes swept across the area.
"The monsters are probably storing the bodies somewhere, saving them to devour later… Many of them tend to do that."
-Smash!
The sharp sound snapped their attention toward its source.
Ryden had driven his fist into a nearby tree.
"Damn it… those were my mercenary comrades," he choked out.
Elfrez exhaled deeply and gently placed a hand on Ryden's shoulder, a silent attempt to comfort him.
Several minutes passed in heavy silence.
Then, the distinct tremor of the ground reached their ears.
They turned toward the path just in time to spot small horse-drawn carriages approaching.
With every passing moment, they grew clearer in view—until they finally came to a halt.
The door of a luxurious carriage—distinct from the others lined up beside it—burst open.
From within, a man of average height emerged and immediately strode toward Elfrez. Genuine concern was etched across his face as his ocean-blue eyes scanned Elfrez from head to toe.
He halted only when he found nothing amiss.
Letting out a quiet hum of relief, he bowed respectfully.
"I am genuinely relieved that Father is all right."
It's President when we're at work," Elfrez Eniyon reminded him, patting his son's shoulder.
"I...well, it's…" his son stuttered, stopping short when he caught the sharp look in Elfrez's eyes.
"My apologies, Mr.President," he said with a restrained sigh.
"It's fine. I presume every cart is intact? The goods are secure?" Elfrez asked, his gaze sweeping over the line of carriages—along with the mercenary guards stationed to protect them.
"As you can see, everything is in order. By the grace of the Beast Lord," his son replied calmly.
His calculating gaze drifted around until it fell on Ryden, who was missing an arm.
"I am deeply sorry for your losses and at the same time, grateful to you for saving my fath—… Mr. President of Eniyon Trade."
"It's… fine. Protecting our contractor is our duty as mercenaries," Ryden replied quietly.
The son's long rabbit ear twitched at the subdued tone.
Shaking the feeling from his mind, he finally lowered his gaze toward Marfin, who was carrying Mirai on his back. His eyes lingered on them for a few seconds before dismissing them as unimportant and returning to Elfrez.
"We regret the inconvenience, President. This is the humans' fault—they deliberately made us wait. It's almost as if they conspired behind this entire incident. Otherwise, we could have joined you in time…"
"That's a serious accusation, Vice President," Elfrez said sharply. "Do you have any evidence to support it?"
When he noticed the hesitation in his son's expression, Elfrez let out an exasperated sigh.
"It seems you don't. I've warned you time and time again—do not drag politics into our business. That is not our domain. We are merchants. We trade, not experiment, and certainly not spy. That is our creed."
His gaze hardened.
"No matter what schemes unfold around us, our focus remains on profit. Loose the sight of that—and prepare to be buried under debt."
"But they were acting suspiciously! Just like they did before the day of the Great Bombarded Calamity!" the Vice President's voice urged.
"Even so, without concrete evidence, we cannot interfere… or else we'll be accused of Deceptionism once again by the State of Five Council," Elfrez replied calmly.
"B-but still… for the denizens—"
"Enough! We will not discuss this anymore!" Elfrez said firmly.
"As you wish, President…" the Vice President backed down respectfully.
Nodding in approval, Elfrez turned his gaze toward Marfin, his expression softening instantly.
"This is my son, Eldrin Eniyon… the Vice President of Eniyon Trading Co.," he said, pointing at Eldrin.
"Vice President? So, second in command of the company?" Marfin raised an eyebrow.
"Skill may be earned… but blood? Blood always buys the seat, doesn't it?" Marfin said sarcastically, his eyes drifting over Eldrin.
"Hahaha! What an honest man! Is that really what you think of Eldrin? And you have the audacity to say it to my face—that he acquired the seat because of blood, is that it?"
"Make your own guess," Marfin shrugged nonchalantly.
"Where did you pick up this… peepsqueak, Mr. President?" Eldrin asked, a deep frown creasing his forehead.
"Ah! I haven't introduced them to you..yet"
"His name is Marfin, our savior. He helped us when we needed it most," Elfrez said with a soft smile. "And the one on his back is his sister, Mirai."