Several days passed after Luciana and Raizen took different roads.
At first, Luciana thought the days might feel strange.
They didn’t.
Not exactly.
Her days became surprisingly busy.
After completing the Wildbell Flower quest, she returned to the Adventurer Guild and started looking for other beginner tasks.
Some were simple.
Some required more walking.
And some paid considerably better than the quests she had taken before.
Luciana quickly discovered one very important fact about adventuring.
Walking was expensive.
Food cost money.
Inns cost money.
Supplies cost money.
Even little things she hadn’t considered before somehow managed to cost money.
So earning more was important.
Fortunately, Luciana was learning quickly.
She accepted a few collection quests that offered higher rewards and occasionally joined group tasks when the destination was farther away than she was comfortable traveling alone.
She met new adventurers along the way.
Some were cheerful.
Some were loud.
Some took their quests far too seriously.
One group spent almost half an hour arguing about who should carry the basket.
Luciana had quietly picked up her own basket and walked away.
She preferred traveling alone.
It was simpler.
She could stop whenever she wanted.
She could eat whenever she wanted.
She could admire flowers without someone telling her they were wasting time.
And, most importantly, she didn’t have to argue with anyone over quest rewards.
Luciana considered that a major improvement.
Still, she had made a few acquaintances.
There was a young mage who always complained about muddy shoes.
A swordsman who seemed convinced every small creature in the forest was secretly dangerous.
And a cheerful healer who had once given Luciana directions after she accidentally took the wrong path.
They weren’t close friends.
But Luciana was slowly learning the faces and personalities of people who lived outside Cresent Roseville.
The world was bigger than she had imagined.
And she liked it.
Her room at the inn also remained hers.
She had already paid for another month, which meant she didn’t have to worry about finding another place to stay anytime soon.
Luciana had stared at the receipt when she first realized that.
“One whole month…”
Then she had looked around her room.
The bed was comfortable.
The window had a good view.
The innkeeper was friendly.
There was hot water.
And she had already paid.
She nodded decisively.
“Excellent financial decision.”
She had absolutely no idea whether it was actually an excellent financial decision.
But it made her happy.
As the days passed, she occasionally wondered about the people who had helped her when she first arrived.
Alex and Sara had already left Silvermere to continue their merchant journey in another country.
Luciana sometimes wondered what they were doing.
Were they selling goods?
Buying new things?
Arguing over directions?
She imagined Sara pointing at a map while Alex insisted he knew the road.
Luciana smiled at the thought.
Then there was another person she occasionally found herself thinking about.
Raizen.
She hadn’t seen him since the day they separated.
She wondered where he was.
Maybe his merchant escort quest had taken him somewhere far away.
Maybe he was still traveling.
Maybe he had already returned.
She didn’t know.
Would she see him again?
Soon?
Later?
Perhaps not at all?
Luciana wasn’t sure.
And strangely, whenever she thought about it, there was a tiny feeling of disappointment that she couldn’t quite explain.
She always dismissed it.
“He’s just a weird guy I did one quest with.”
That explanation seemed reasonable.
Mostly.
Until one morning.
Luciana entered the Adventurer Guild as usual.
She had already eaten breakfast and was thinking about which quest to accept next.
Maybe something involving rare herbs.
Maybe a collection quest near another village.
Maybe something with a good reward.
She walked toward the quest board.
Then she stopped.
Someone was standing at the information counter.
A familiar figure.
Dark clothes.
Calm posture.
Silver-dark hair catching the light from the guild windows.
Raizen.
He was speaking with Clara.
Luciana stared.
For several seconds, her brain simply stopped processing the morning.
Then—
He’s back.
Her face immediately brightened.
“Raizen!”
She didn’t even realize how happy she sounded.
Raizen turned.
Their eyes met.
For the briefest moment, something warm passed through his otherwise calm expression.
He had returned.
The journey had taken several days.
The merchant escort had gone smoothly.
And he had found what he had been looking for.
The gift was safely packed away.
He had also expected that returning to Silvermere would feel different.
It did.
Because the moment he sensed Luciana entering the guild, the long journey suddenly felt worth it.
But he simply looked at her.
“Luciana.”
She walked over.
“You’re back!”
“Yes.”
“That was fast.”
Raizen paused.
“It has been several days.”
Luciana blinked.
“Oh.”
She looked slightly embarrassed.
“I guess it just felt fast.”
Clara looked between them.
Then she smiled.
“You two know each other?”
Luciana answered immediately.
“We did a quest together.”
Raizen calmly added,
“And argued over fifteen silver coins.”
Luciana’s eyes widened.
“That makes it sound terrible!”
“It wasn’t.”
“You made me share the reward.”
“You agreed.”
“Because Clara said we could share the quest!”
“You still agreed.”
Luciana crossed her arms.
“You remember too much.”
Raizen’s expression remained perfectly calm.
“You were very concerned about those fifteen silver coins.”
Clara covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Luciana pointed at Raizen.
“You’re still weird.”
“I know.”
That answer made her pause.
Then she laughed.
For some reason, seeing him again felt…
comfortable.
Familiar.
She didn’t understand why.
They had only known each other for a short time.
They had completed one quest together.
Then spent several days apart.
That should have been all.
Yet when she had seen him standing at the counter, her first reaction hadn’t been surprise.
It had been happiness.
He’s back.
The thought had appeared before she could stop it.
Luciana looked at him for another moment.
“Did your escort quest go well?”
“Yes.”
“Did you go far?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see anything interesting?”
“A few things.”
“Like what?”
Raizen considered his answer.
“Markets.
Magical handicrafts.
A few rare items.”
Luciana’s eyes immediately brightened.
“Rare items?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“Things you probably don’t need.”
Luciana stared at him.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Raizen almost smiled.
Almost.
Clara noticed.
She definitely noticed.
But wisely decided not to say anything.
Luciana leaned slightly toward the counter.
“So… did you bring anything interesting back?”
Raizen’s hand rested casually at his side.
The small package containing the gift was hidden safely beneath his coat.
He looked at her.
“No.”
Luciana looked disappointed for exactly one second.
“Oh.”
Then she straightened.
“That’s okay.”
She smiled again.
“I found some really good food while you were gone.”
Raizen blinked.
“…Food?”
“Yes.”
Luciana immediately began describing the night market, the grilled food she had tried, the animal-shaped sweets, the magical charms, and how she had completed several quests.
She spoke with obvious pride when she mentioned her rewards.
“And I completed a group task too.”
Raizen listened quietly.
“You prefer group quests now?”
“No.”
She answered without hesitation.
“I prefer traveling alone.”
Raizen’s eyes softened slightly.
“That suits you.”
Luciana nodded.
“It does.”
She looked at him.
Then, without thinking, she added,
“But…”
Raizen waited.
Luciana suddenly couldn’t figure out what she had been about to say.
She looked away.
“But it’s nice to see someone familiar again.”
The words came out quietly.
Raizen didn’t answer immediately.
Something deep inside him tightened.
For a thousand years, he had waited for this soul to return.
But she didn’t remember him.
She didn’t know what he had done for her.
She didn’t know how long he had waited.
She didn’t know why his return mattered.
And perhaps that was exactly how it should be.
Because this smile belonged to Luciana.
Not the goddess she had once been.
Not the woman he had lost.
Luciana.
The girl who loved croissants.
The girl who argued over fifteen silver coins.
The girl who talked to suspicious potatoes.
The girl who preferred solo quests.
And now— the girl who was quietly happy to see him again.
Raizen gave her a small smile.
“It’s nice to see you too.”
Luciana smiled back.
For some reason, her chest felt warm.
She didn’t understand it.
She didn’t understand why she had been so happy when she saw him.
She didn’t understand why his absence had occasionally crossed her mind during those quiet evenings.
And she certainly didn’t understand why seeing him again suddenly made Silvermere feel a little less unfamiliar.
Luciana frowned at herself.
Why am I feeling like this?
She decided it was probably because he was familiar.
That had to be it.
Definitely.
Absolutely.
There was no other explanation.
Raizen watched her thoughtful expression.
He knew better.
But he said nothing.
For now, he was simply glad to be back.
And perhaps, for Luciana, that was enough.
At least for today.