The morning streets were still half-asleep when we stepped out of the inn. Pale sunlight spilled over the rooftops, brushing the cobblestones with soft gold, and the breeze that wandered down the narrow lanes carried only the faintest rustle. Our boots echoed sharply in the quiet, too loud for a town not yet awake.
"Valley of Seals, huh… just from the name, it sounds like the kind of place that eats people for breakfast," Lilis muttered, brows knitting as she exhaled a long sigh.
"There's no doubt something tied to the Zelva Kingdom's legacy is hidden there," Caina said, calm as ever, eyes tracking straight ahead. "But it's not just some old ruin. It might be crawling with traps… and monsters."
"That's why we have to prepare properly," Cecilia said, pulling her bag closer as her expression sharpened.
"And the Guild won't back us up, right?" I asked, frowning.
"Not officially," Lilis said, shrugging with a crooked grin. "But Edmond's quietly slipping us a hand, so it's not like we're totally on our own."
We had just reached the front of the Guild when—
"It's been a while, everyone."
That voice cut through the quiet, soft but carrying, and all of us turned at once. The morning sun flared against steel and crimson as a familiar figure stood at the foot of the Guild steps.
"…Elsa!?"
There she was. Elsa Valentine. Her long red hair caught the light like fire, her stance straight and solid as ever—but something heavier hung around her now, an aura that felt sharper, older.
A dozen emotions tangled in my chest at once—shock, relief, something else that knotted up my breath—and then we were all moving toward her.
"Elsa! You're safe!" Cecilia cried, her face lighting up like sunlight breaking through clouds.
"Of course I am. Who do you think I am?" Elsa flashed a confident grin, but her golden eyes… they cut sharper than before.
"…I have something to tell you," she said, her tone shifting. The grin faded. Serious now. "Will you listen?"
We moved to a private room at the inn, the one still draped in the dim quiet of early morning. Pale light slipped through the window, spilling across the old desk and worn floorboards. Dust motes drifted slowly in the beams like lazy sparks.
"I went off alone for a while… to sort out my thoughts," Elsa began, her voice low, carrying both tension and a flicker of excitement. "And on the way, I heard a strange rumor."
"A rumor?" Caina tilted his head.
"That people are moving to claim the Zelva Kingdom's legacy."
The air seemed to contract. My breath stuck.
"I found a scholar," she continued, "someone who's studied the Zelva Kingdom's history and tech for years… and he knows a lot about the Valley of Seals."
"A scholar… who knows the Valley?" Cecilia repeated softly, doubt and curiosity tangled in her voice.
"Yes. According to him, the Valley of Seals might hold the Kingdom's relics. And he's found old documents—fragments that might prove the selection function exists."
"That matches what we've found," Cecilia murmured, nodding slowly.
Elsa's gaze dipped for an instant, then lifted—sharp as a blade. "But there's something else. Something more important."
My chest tightened. "What do you mean?"
"You know how we thought Matching Adventure was just an aptitude app?" Elsa said. "It might not be."
"…Wait," Caina breathed. Her voice went tight.
"That scholar believes… the app isn't just matching strong people. It's guiding certain people. Preparing them. To build a 'next world.'"
"Next… world?" The words tumbled from me, flat, confused.
"A world where only the chosen survive," Elsa said quietly. "And this app… might be choosing who gets to exist in it."
Her words froze the room. The quiet creaked around us.
"That's… that's like… culling people," Cecilia whispered. Her voice shook.
"Yes. And according to him, the Valley of Seals might hold the key to the selection function's true purpose."
"Valley of Seals…" I echoed.
"It might be the only place that can unlock both the app's secrets and the Kingdom's technology. That's why… I plan to go there. With that scholar."
Lilis let out a low hum, arms folded. "Heh. If it connects this well with what we've dug up, I'd say it's worth the risk."
"But there's no guarantee it's safe," Caina warned, her voice sharpening.
"Especially if others chasing the Kingdom's legacy are already moving," Cecilia added quietly. Tension edged her gentle tone. "They could be waiting for us."
"True," Elsa said. "But if we want answers, it's the only way."
"Will going there… really tell us everything?" I asked.
"I don't know," Elsa admitted. Her golden eyes burned, unwavering. "But I refuse to be controlled by this app anymore."
"Then we go," Lilis said, and her smile was fierce, eyes bright with something reckless and sure.
I looked around at them—my team, my friends. My voice came out steady. "Everyone… ready?"
"Of course!"
Elsa stepped forward, planting her boots with that familiar iron weight. For the first time in too long, we stood complete again—the strongest party.
"Then let's move," she said, fire curling under her words. "We're heading for the Valley of Seals."
The sunlight caught on the edge of her sword as she turned. Shadows stretched long behind us as if trying to keep up, and we walked toward our next adventure.
Notes:
• Lilis - Agile rogue/thief — Leon's close friend and playful teaser. Strikes fast with twin daggers and vanishes into stealth. Petite, light-blonde hair, mischievous green eyes. Reminder: Playful trickster hiding sharp instincts.
• Cain - Calm, brilliant mage — the group's strategist and analyst. Uses lightning magic with precise, logical focus. Slender, silver hair, calm blue eyes. Reminder: Stoic thinker and precision spellcaster.
• Cecilia - Gentle yet firm healer (v1c11) — Leon's emotional support and moral anchor. Wields holy healing and purification magic. Graceful, golden hair, violet eyes. Reminder: Kind priestess with hidden resolve.
• Edmond - Vice-guildmaster (v1c12) — secretly aids Leon despite neutrality. Expert in swift swordplay and covert tactics. Lean, short dark-brown hair, steel-gray eyes. Reminder: Sharp-eyed tactician who works from the shadows.
• Galahad - Adventurers' Guildmaster (v1c12) — commands respect, guards Guild neutrality yet values Leon's resolve. Master greatsword user and morale pillar. Broad-shouldered, graying black hair, piercing dark eyes. Reminder: Stern but honorable veteran leader.
• Elsa - Proud red-haired warrior — once a frontline fighter, deeply trusts (and loves) Leon. Masters raw strength and combat. Tall, long crimson hair, fierce golden eyes. Reminder: Fierce protector, sharper after her return.