Chapter 225

Suri kept munching on a thick chunk of roasted meat, grease glistening on her fingers as she took another enthusiastic bite. 

“This is so good!” she said, cheeks full, utterly unbothered by her surroundings.

Roy’s mother laughed warmly. “I’m glad you like it. We don’t get many guests, so we cook a bit extra this time.”

The dining area was simple but cozy—wooden beams, a large chimney, and the faint scent of herbs meant to ward off insects… or perhaps something else entirely. Outside the windows, gravestones stood like silent sentinels beneath the thinning snow.

Unlike their meeting with Rin’s parents—where every word must be carefully selected, every glance weighted—this house felt… lived in. Comfortable. Even with skeletons sweeping the yard just beyond the door.

“I’m Rand,” Roy’s father said, adjusting the spectacles perched on his nose. He looked strikingly similar to Roy, right down to the same absent-minded expression. “And this is my wife, Olga. You can call us Uncle and Auntie. Or whatever feels natural.”

Olga nodded, her smile kind, pale skin with a bit of freckles on her cheeks. “He cried nonstop when we disapproved of his absurd plan to spend his vacation raiding dungeons,” she said casually. “So Roy will be in your hands.”

“I didn’t cry!” Roy protested.

“That’s why your eyes are swelling?” Suri shot back, grinning.

Roy opened his mouth, then closed it again, defeated.

Kana scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. “Uhm… I thought you were against it.”

“We weren’t planning to allow it,” Olga said honestly. “But after seeing you three in person…” She paused, studying them more carefully now. “I changed my mind.”

Kana blinked. “Why?”

Olga rested her hands together on the table. “My class is [Spiritmancer]. One of my skills is [Spirit Gauge]. It allows me to sense and see the strength of a person’s soul.”

Kana stiffened slightly.

“And yours,” Olga continued calmly, eyes settling on Kana, “is overwhelming. All three of you are unusual—but you, Kana… your soul burns bright and steady. Now I understand how you defeated that empire swordsman.”

Kana swallowed. She couldn’t help but be curious,“Do you… have any other skills?”

Olga smiled.

“Yes. I can speak with the dead.”

Silence fell like a dropped plate.

“I talk to them before burial,” Olga added, as if discussing the weather. “It’s part of the ritual. To listen. To ensure they have no regrets before we place their body in the ground.”

The atmosphere inside felt chilly all of a sudden. I shouldn’t have asked, Kana thought.

Boris gulped audibly. Suri froze mid-bite, meat hovering inches from her mouth.

“…Can you also see ghosts?” Suri asked carefully.

“Not exactly,” Olga said. “But I can hear them. And also perceive their forms faintly.”

She glanced around the room.

“There are quite a few here right now,” she added lightly. “They’re curious about the rare visitors with powerful souls.”

Suri forced a smile so tight it almost hurt. She grabbed her cup and took a long gulp of water.

“Uhmm… Kana? I think we should leave. Our business is done, right?”

“I agree,” Boris said immediately, nodding far too fast.

Olga laughed. “Even powerful souls fear ghosts, it seems. Don’t worry—most of them can’t harm the living.”

“…You said most,” Boris said slowly.

“Well,” Olga said thoughtfully, “very vengeful spirits can sometimes possess or harm a living body. But that’s rare.”

The trio went pale. Kana was thinking about getting an item to protect her from mind related skills but now she was considering getting any protection against spirits. After all, she had no way to fight something she couldn’t see. Unless.. I must evolve my [High Awareness]. 

“We do have a few nearby,” Olga added, watching their reactions with amusement as Kana’s face visibly drained of color. 

“—I’m joking. You won’t find them here.”

The trio exhaled in unison.

Roy tilted his head, confused. “I didn’t think you three were scared of ghosts.”

“I think,” Suri said solemnly, standing up, “we should leave Roy here.”

“I agree,” Boris said.

“Indeed,” Kana added without hesitation.

Roy stared at them, betrayed. The souls of the dead surrounding them, if they could laugh, probably would have.

…..

The trio were obviously in a hurry and left Roy’s place. They went back to the orphanage which was less than half an hour away and planned to spend the night there.

Warm light spilled from the kitchen windows, cutting through the cold helping the orphanage house to be warmer. Inside, Shar had prepared far more food than usual. Pots simmered. Bread steamed. Meat crackled over fire.

Officially, it was because the trio was coming back. In truth, everyone knew it was because of Suri.

Kana and Suri stood near the entrance with Aldo, the tough wooden door creaking softly as winter wind pressed against it. Beyond the fence, the village lay quiet, roofs dusted with thinning snow, lanterns glowing faintly like sleepy eyes.

“Uncle,” Kana said, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall, “we might visit the village soon. I’m planning to hire someone to help with the orphanage’s security. Do you have any recommendations?”

Aldo hummed, deep in thought. He rubbed his chin slowly, eyes drifting toward the tree line beyond the fence.

“Most people in the village are non-combatant classes,” he said. “But… do you remember Edar?”

Kana nodded immediately.

Edar was older. Seven or eight years, maybe more. The age gap had kept their circles separate growing up, but she remembered him well enough. Always in the woods. Always working with timber. Quiet, focused, built tall and thin like a branch that refused to snap.

“I don’t remember his exact class,” Kana said, brow furrowing. “But it had something to do with wood, right?”

“[Treefolk],” Aldo replied. “A valuable class. Especially for lumber, construction, anything tied to forests or woods.”

Kana grimaced slightly. “Right… but I don’t think Edar can help much with security.”

Aldo’s expression changed. He glanced around, then leaned closer, lowering his voice.

“That’s what most people think.”

Suri tilted her head, interest sparking.

“He has another skill,” Aldo continued quietly. “Not one he advertises. Not one he likes talking about.”

Kana gulped. Was there someone powerful like that in our village?

“It doesn’t have a wide range,” Aldo said. “But within it… he can observe through a selected tree near him.”

Suri blinked. Then frowned.

“That’s creepy,” she said flatly. “The village has trees everywhere.”

Kana shot her a look. “That’s rich coming from you. Your skill is worse.”

Suri opened her mouth, then paused. “…fair.”

Aldo chuckled softly. “Your reaction is natural. That’s exactly why Edar never told anyone. He only used it a handful of times. Usually when I asked him to keep watch for dangerous beasts near the village.”

Kana exhaled slowly. The image clicked into place. Silent observation. No patrol routes. No obvious guards. Just eyes where no one would expect them.

She smiled faintly. “I agree. Edar’s a good man.”

Suri dipped her head. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

Kana turned back to Aldo. “He might still be needed in the village. Would hiring him be a problem?”

Aldo waved a hand. “His class is probably inherited. His mother has the same one, and she’s still young. With your connection to the duke—and the new income flowing into the village—the demand for their abilities isn’t what it used to be.”

Kana nodded thoughtfully.

She could hire an adventurer. Someone stronger. Someone tested.

But strangers came with pride. With habits. With unknown motives.

This place needed someone who already belonged. Someone that could be trusted.

“If Edar refuses,” Kana said quietly, “I’ll look for an adventurer as a last resort.”

Suri nudged her shoulder. “Kana… back in the village, remember? I felt like someone was watching us.”

Kana stiffened. She remembered that a few times. She felt someone was there yet there was no one.

She swallowed. “…When we were doing that?”

Suri nodded.

Kana sighed. “Then we’ll need to talk to him. Make sure he understands what stays silent.”

Aldo scratched the back of his head. “Now I’m curious of that.”

Kana and Suri turned to him at the same time and offered matching, perfectly forced smiles.

Before Aldo could ask more, a loud laugh burst from inside.

They turned.

Thorne strutted proudly through the center of the living room, tail high, chest puffed out. Children surrounded her like devotees, cheering, clapping, offering scraps of food she absolutely did not need.

The lizard basked in it.

….

The trio left the orphanage before sunrise, slipping away while the world still clung to sleep.

Mist hovered low over the ground, thin and pale, curling around their boots as if reluctant to let them go. No one lingered. No one looked back for long. They had agreed to meet again the following day, and for now, there was only one remaining task pressing against Kana’s thoughts like a stone in her pocket.

Elle York.

She was the deciding factor.

Kana knew her limits. She knew the margin between confidence and catastrophe inside a higher-level dungeon was razor-thin. Raw strength alone would not carry them through. What they needed was balance. Control. A pure support who could steady the chaos when everything began to unravel.

Elle York was exactly that.

After two hours of travel, the familiar sprawl of the central district rose before them. Stone streets replaced dirt paths. Towers and spires cut into the brightening sky. Bells rang somewhere far off, marking the morning hour.

They stopped before the church.

Or rather, before the massive estate behind it.

The house loomed like a second sanctuary, its walls pale and pristine, windows tall and narrow, carved with symbols of blessing and restraint. Even from outside, Kana could feel it. This place was not merely wealthy. It was protected. Wrapped in quiet authority.

Problems stacked quickly in her mind.

Elle was going to be a fourth-year student next year. That alone disqualified her from the convenient excuse Kana had used before. The annual tournament preparation meant nothing here. Not to mention Elle always participated as an overall support for the entire event. She couldn’t simply be added to a team of younger students.

And coin was useless.

The church was one of the richest organizations in the kingdom when she saw a few times the donations they were getting from the masses. Offering a coin here would be like tossing copper into a river and hoping it changed direction.

Kana released a slow breath as they stepped inside the outer gate. The grounds were immaculate. Snow had been cleared from the paths, leaving stone so clean it almost gleamed. Everything felt deliberate. Watched.

She placed her trust where it always seemed to land these days.

Suri. Well she had no choice.

Suri strolled ahead of them without a care, sipping from a new carefully crafted wooden cup. Steam curled upward, carrying the scent of honey and something floral. The drink was everywhere in the central district. Merchants sold it on corners. Almost every other person she came across in the central district was holding a cup of one or two. Even Boris had one in hand, Thorne perched atop his head, licking at the rim when she thought no one was looking.

Kana had tried it once.

It was fine.

Still, she had the strange feeling she’d tasted better before. Somewhere. Somehow. The memory slipped away every time she reached for it. One thing she was sure of, whoever created the popular drink became filthy rich now. She could still remember the exact taste of the drinks from her memory. She sighed. I wish I could remember the recipes. Maybe I don't know them in the first place?

They were near but weren't close yet when the gate opened.

Elle York stood waiting.

She wore a long white gown, simple in design but immaculate, the fabric catching the morning light like fresh snow. Her hair was neatly tied back, her posture calm and composed, seemingly radiating a divine like aura.

Elle lifted a hand and waved.

Boris responded instantly, grinning so wide it looked like his face might crack. He waved back with both arms.

Suri stopped beside Kana and glanced toward Elle, eyes focused now, the laziness gone as if it had never existed.

“Are you ready?” Suri asked.

Elle’s smile widened. “Yes. I practiced a lot.”

Kana frowned.

She looked from Suri to Elle, then back again. The two giggled.

She had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.

And that, somehow, made her more nervous than any dungeon she entered. 

Post note:

Hope you enjoy the chap! 👻 🌲