By the time Ren and Lyra stepped through the heavy doors of the Adventurer Guild, the sun had already begun to sink, painting the streets in warm orange light. The guild hall was lively but not overcrowded. A few parties were turning in materials from the day's hunts, and the smell of ink, old paper, and dried monster blood hung in the air.
Both of them looked different from when they had first entered the town.
Ren wore a dark travel cloak and carried an ordinary longsword at his waist, the kind any common adventurer might use. The modern pistol remained hidden inside his clothes. Lyra had changed the colour of her hair to a deep chestnut brown using a temporary dye sold for travelers. Her wolf ears were carefully hidden beneath a hood, and her silver tail was wrapped tightly and concealed under her cloak. At a glance, they looked like nothing more than an ordinary human adventurer and his companion.
They approached an open counter. Ren placed the heavy bag of materials on the wooden surface.
The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with sharp eyes, began sorting through the contents. Wolf Magic Stones, Wolf Claws, Rabbit Magic Stones, Rabbit Horns, and several denser bones from the stronger wolves. When she reached the High-Grade Mana Stone from the Tyrant Tree, her eyebrows rose slightly.
"These are good quality," she said after a careful appraisal. "Especially the mana stone."
She calculated quickly.
"Materials from the outer forest… ten gold coins.
Five ordinary wolf packs… fifty gold.
Five Granitehowl Alphas and their materials… another fifty gold.
High-Grade Mana Stone… twenty-five gold."
She looked up. "Total: one hundred thirty-five gold coins."
Ren accepted the payment without changing expression. In this world, a normal family earned around fifteen gold in an entire year. Adventurers who risked their lives could earn one hundred fifty gold in a day or two without it being considered unusual. Their haul would not draw excessive attention.
Before leaving the counter, Ren placed one of the Wolf Leader Bones on the wood.
"What about these?"
The receptionist examined it, then shook her head.
"These bones are mostly useless for combat gear. Alchemists sometimes grind them into medicine for joint pain or weak blood, but demand is low. We can only offer a few silver for each."
Ren nodded and took the bone back.
*(They don't know its real value yet.)*
He then asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Is there a way to measure mana capacity and magic capacity here?"
The receptionist pointed toward a sealed glass case in the corner of the hall. Inside sat only the empty outer casing of a complex device — silver framework and crystal mounts, but no core.
"That is the outer case of an **Aether Gauge**. The actual measuring device broke last month and was sent to the capital for repairs. It should return in about one week."
Ren filed the information away. One week. Acceptable.
After leaving the guild, the two of them walked through the evening streets. Ren glanced at Lyra's travel-stained clothes and then at his own.
"We should buy new clothes."
Lyra looked slightly surprised, but followed him without complaint.
They found a moderate clothing store that catered to adventurers and traveling merchants — clean, well-lit, and not overly luxurious. The shopkeeper welcomed them warmly.
Inside, rows of practical yet well-made clothing lined the walls. Ren chose several dark, durable sets for himself. When he turned, he found Lyra standing in front of a mirror holding a deep green dress with silver embroidery along the sleeves. Even with her hair dyed brown, the colour suited her.
She noticed him watching and her ears turned faintly pink beneath the hood.
"Does it… look strange?"
"No," Ren answered honestly. "It looks good on you."
Her tail swayed once under the cloak before she quickly controlled it. She ended up buying the green dress along with two practical outfits for travel. Ren also selected a few more sets for her without asking, placing them on the counter.
When Lyra tried to protest, he simply said, "You're my partner. I want you to have proper clothes."
The total came to fifty gold coins. As they left the store with their packages, Lyra walked a little closer to him than usual. At one point her fingers brushed against his. Neither of them pulled away.
Later they entered a fine dining restaurant near the central plaza. Soft magical lights floated near the ceiling, and the smell of roasted meat and herbs filled the air. They ordered a full meal and a bottle of good wine.
The food was excellent. The wine was even better.
Halfway through the meal, Lyra set her glass down and looked at Ren with quiet sincerity.
"I'm glad it was you," she said softly. "If someone else had bought my contract… someone cruel or arrogant… I don't know what would have happened to me. Thank you for choosing me that day."
Ren met her eyes for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"I don't regret it."
A faint, genuine smile appeared on Lyra's face. Under the table, her tail curled lightly against his leg.
Outside the restaurant, two figures watched from the shadows of an alley.
The male spy looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. Beside him stood a young woman with sharp features and calm, assessing eyes. She was clearly the more skilled of the two.
They had spent the last hour gathering information quietly — speaking to gate guards, a stable boy, and a waiter who had served a brown-haired woman with a hooded companion. Now they finally saw their possible targets.
Ren and Lyra stepped out of the restaurant together. Without thinking, Lyra slipped her hand into Ren's. He did not let go. The two of them walked side by side toward the inn, looking like any other couple returning from dinner.
The female spy watched them carefully.
The man carried a common longsword. The woman's hair was brown, not silver. Their faces were partially hidden by the evening light and their cloaks. She could not be completely certain.
Still… the timing, the materials they had sold, and the overall description were too close to ignore.
"We've found possible candidates," she whispered. "But they are disguised. I cannot confirm one hundred percent yet."
The male spy started to move forward, but she placed a hand on his arm.
"No. We've been riding for nearly two days without proper rest. You look ready to collapse. Go find an inn and sleep. I'll continue observation alone tonight. If they are the ones, they will still be here tomorrow."
He hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
"Be careful."
"I always am."
The male spy disappeared into the side streets. The female spy remained in the shadows, her gaze fixed on the inn that Ren and Lyra had just entered. Her presence was so controlled that neither of them sensed her at all.
Inside the inn, the door to their room closed softly behind them.
Outside, unseen eyes continued to watch.