Night had already fallen across the Kingdom of Valdoria by the time Ren stepped out of the slave trading estate.
Cold wind drifted through the capital streets while golden lantern lights reflected across rain-soaked stone roads. The upper district remained lively despite the late hour, filled with nobles, wealthy merchants, and adventurers celebrating successful dungeon raids inside luxurious taverns.
But Ren barely noticed any of it.
His attention remained on the silver-haired beastwoman quietly walking behind him.
Lyra Valeford.
Even now, after officially purchasing her contract, the atmosphere around her remained cautious and distant.
She walked silently with measured steps, maintaining several feet of distance between them as though prepared to flee or fight at any moment.
Ren could understand why.
To her, he was still just another owner.
Another human.
Another stranger.
The only difference was that instead of chains—
She now carried a magical contract.
Ren glanced toward her briefly.
Moonlight illuminated her silver hair beautifully while her wolf ears twitched occasionally beneath the hooded cloak provided by the estate.
Even hidden beneath simple clothing, Lyra's appearance remained stunning enough to draw attention from passing pedestrians.
More than once, nearby adventurers openly stared at her before quickly looking away after noticing Ren.
Eventually, Lyra spoke quietly.
"Where are we going?"
Her voice remained calm, though guarded.
Ren scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Honestly?"
Lyra remained silent.
"I don't exactly own a mansion or anything."
A faint look of confusion crossed her face.
Ren sighed lightly.
"Most of today's reward disappeared buying your contract."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"So we're staying at a tavern for now."
For the first time—
A tiny smile almost appeared on Lyra's lips.
Almost.
It vanished quickly.
But Ren noticed it.
And somehow, that small reaction felt strangely satisfying.
The tavern near the Adventurer Guild overflowed with noise and warmth.
Loud laughter echoed across the large hall while drunken adventurers celebrated around wooden tables overflowing with food and alcohol.
A bard played music near the fireplace while several waitresses hurried between customers carrying drinks.
The moment Ren entered, several adventurers from earlier immediately recognized him.
"That's him!"
"The solo rookie!"
"The guy who cleared Ashen Frontier alone!"
"Apparently he killed the boss himself!"
"No party. No healer. Nothing!"
Whispers spread rapidly through the tavern.
Some looked impressed.
Others suspicious.
A few openly hostile.
Lyra's ears twitched slightly as she listened carefully to the conversations around them.
Her crimson eyes slowly shifted toward Ren.
So the rumors were true.
This strange man really had entered a dungeon alone and returned alive within a single day.
Even experienced adventurers rarely attempted solo dungeon raids.
And beginner-ranked adventurers almost never survived them.
Yet Ren had apparently cleared the entire dungeon by himself.
Ren ignored the attention completely.
Lyra silently followed behind him while observing the surroundings carefully.
The tavern owner quickly approached with a nervous smile.
"Y-you're the adventurer everyone's talking about today."
Ren nodded slightly.
"One room."
The owner hesitated briefly after noticing Lyra standing beside him.
Then quickly handed over a room key.
"Third floor. Last room."
"Two silver coins per night."
Ren casually paid the fee.
Blue particles flickered briefly around him.
His Beretta M9 and the remaining money instantly vanished into system storage.
Only Ren could access that strange hidden space connected to his system.
After today's expenses, he still had:
• 13 Gold Coins
• 8 Silver Coins
Remaining.
Lyra's wolf ears twitched sharply.
Her crimson eyes widened slightly.
"Spatial storage magic...?"
Ren simply answered calmly.
"Something similar."
The whispers below continued even after they disappeared upstairs.
The room itself was small but clean.
One bed.
One couch.
One wooden table beside a narrow window overlooking the city streets below.
Simple.
But safe enough for the night.
After entering, Ren closed the door quietly behind them.
For several seconds, silence filled the room.
Lyra carefully inspected everything before slowly lowering her hood.
Silver hair spilled down across her shoulders like moonlight.
Ren turned away almost immediately.
Not because he disliked looking at her—
But because openly staring would only make her more uncomfortable.
Eventually, Lyra spoke again.
"If you're an adventurer..."
Ren looked toward her.
"Then how do you fight?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You don't carry a sword."
"And I never sensed mana from you either."
Ren leaned back quietly.
"I use weapons from my world."
Lyra frowned slightly.
"Your world?"
For several seconds, Ren remained silent.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I died."
The room became quiet.
"I was a soldier."
His gaze drifted toward the dark ceiling above.
"There was a war between humans."
"Missiles. Guns. Explosions."
"Thousands dying every day."
Lyra listened silently before stopping at one particular word.
"Missiles?"
Ren looked toward her again.
She tilted her head slightly.
"What are missiles?"
Ren stayed silent for a moment while searching for the right explanation.
Then he answered quietly.
"Imagine a metal weapon flying through the sky fast enough to destroy a carriage..."
He paused briefly.
"Or an entire city easily."
Lyra's eyes widened immediately.
"A weapon capable of destroying cities?"
Her wolf ears twitched uneasily.
This world possessed powerful magic.
Dragon fire.
Ancient spells.
Siege-class artifacts.
But a weapon capable of erasing entire cities still sounded terrifying.
Eventually, Ren continued speaking.
"I should've died there too."
His hand slowly tightened.
"But instead, I woke up here."
His voice remained calm throughout the explanation.
Almost emotionless.
Yet somehow—
That calmness made the loneliness behind his words feel heavier.
Lyra quietly lowered her gaze.
Unlike most humans she had met, Ren's eyes carried no greed when looking at her.
No superiority.
Only exhaustion.
The exhaustion of someone who had already survived hell once before.
Eventually, Lyra asked quietly:
"Why did you really buy me?"
Ren looked toward her for several moments before answering honestly.
"When I saw you earlier..."
He paused briefly.
"I just knew I couldn't leave you there."
Lyra's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
She studied his expression carefully.
Trying to detect deception.
But Ren simply continued.
"I don't know much about this world yet."
"I'm not rich."
"I'm not a noble."
"And honestly, I barely understand what I'm doing myself."
A small bitter smile appeared on his face.
"But I know one thing."
Ren looked directly toward Lyra.
"I want you beside me."
The room fell silent.
Lyra's expression shifted slightly.
Not trust.
Not affection.
But confusion.
Because his answer felt genuine.
And that made him dangerous in an entirely different way.
Rain began falling outside once again.
The sound echoed softly against the tavern windows while warm lantern light illuminated the room.
After several moments of silence, Lyra finally spoke again.
"My tribe is gone."
Her voice became quieter than before.
"We fought against humans for our Beast Nation during the border war."
Her hands slowly tightened.
"But the Blackfang Hyena Tribe betrayed us."
A faint killing intent filled the room.
"They sold our location to the human army."
"When the attack started..."
"They slaughtered my tribe."
Lyra's hands trembled slightly.
"My father was the Duke of the Eastern Wolf Territory within the Beast Nation."
Her crimson eyes darkened.
"The humans killed everyone."
"Then they captured me afterward."
A bitter smile appeared briefly on her face.
"The last surviving daughter of a Beast Nation duke became a slave."
For the first time since meeting her—
Emotion appeared clearly in Lyra's eyes.
Hatred.
Pain.
Grief.
Ren listened silently without interrupting.
"I survived because my father forced me to run."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"But everyone else..."
She stopped speaking.
Silence filled the room again.
Then Ren spoke quietly.
"Then someday..."
Lyra looked toward him.
"We'll destroy them."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Ren's expression remained calm.
"If someone destroyed your home..."
His voice hardened slightly.
"Then they deserve the same in return."
The room became completely silent.
For several long moments, Lyra simply stared at him.
Then slowly—
The coldness in her eyes weakened slightly.
Not completely.
Not yet.
But enough for Ren to notice.
Eventually, Lyra moved toward the bed quietly.
"I'll sleep here."
Ren nodded.
"I'll take the couch."
Lyra hesitated briefly.
Then spoke softly.
"...Thank you."
It was barely louder than a whisper.
But Ren heard it clearly.
And for some reason—
That single quiet sentence felt more valuable than the gold he earned from the dungeon.
Outside, rain continued falling across the Kingdom of Valdoria.
And inside a small tavern room above a noisy adventurer hall—
The future Arsenal King and the last daughter of a fallen wolf tribe began their journey together.