Chapter 201

Winter had claimed the city that night.

Cold pressed in from every direction, a patient weight that seeped through stone and cloth alike. Four students moved through a narrow alley assigned to their patrol route, their breaths misting the darkness with each step. The cobblestones beneath their boots glistened faintly, glazed with frost that cracked softly underfoot. Nothing stirred. No merchants whispering deals. No drunkards weaving home. Winter had chased them all indoors.

Nothing accompanied the group except silence and the steady presence of the massive feline stalking behind them.

The beast padded without sound, its shoulders rolling like slow waves beneath thick fur, golden eyes reflecting what little light the lanterns offered. It watched their backs with the calm certainty of something that had never doubted its place at the top of the food chain.

Kana broke the quiet first, clearing her throat. “I’m surprised your family allowed you to stroll tonight.” She hesitated, then corrected herself. “I mean… patrol with us.”

Elle York did not look offended. If anything, she looked amused. “My father and I had an agreement,” she said. “They are not allowed to interfere with my academy activities.” She paused, then added, “With exceptions. Northern expeditions, things like that. But this?” She gestured at the empty street. “This is one of those usual academy activities..”

Kana nodded, filing the information away. She was about to ask what sort of leverage one needed to strike such a deal with a powerful household when Elle suddenly stopped.

Her expression changed.

Not dramatically. Not obviously. But her eyes sharpened, focus narrowing as if the night itself had whispered something only she could hear. Kana turned her head toward Suri.

Suri stood a few steps back, brows furrowed, gaze unfocused. For a heartbeat she looked half-asleep, as if wandering through a dream.

Then she snapped upright.

“I found them,” Suri said.

Elle and Mica both blinked, startled.

“They’re outside the eastern wall,” Suri continued, voice steady now. “In a forested area. There’s a hidden house.” She tilted her head slightly, listening to something unseen. “A royal knight is already there. I don’t see any enemies.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

They were in the upper central district. The eastern wall was far. Outside the wall even farther. Mica exhaled slowly, clearly impressed despite herself.

Kana stepped closer. “Are the children safe?”

Suri nodded. “They are being kept hidden. Alive. Unharmed.” She glanced at Kana. “Should we go there?”

Kana let out a breath she had not realized she was holding. Relief loosened something tight in her chest. Before she could answer, Elle spoke.

“No,” Elle said firmly. “If the children are safe, then our priority changes.” Her gaze hardened. “We find the culprits.”

The group resumed walking, their pace was faster than before. Hours slipped by as they followed their assigned route, winter deepening around them. The city remained silent, as if holding its breath. Eventually, frost-bitten and weary, they returned to the academy field.

They were surprised as Principal Light greeted them there. He must have participated in patrolling.

Professor Len stood at the center, wrapped in a heavy cloak, surrounded by other professors and the remaining patrol groups. Lanterns burned low, their flames wavering in the cold.

“We’re ending patrol for the night,” Professor Len announced. “The children are confirmed safe. From this point on, we hunt the perpetrators.”

Murmurs rippled through the gathered students.

Suri scratched her cheek, unease creeping into her expression. “Strange,” she muttered. “I still can’t find anyone suspicious.”

Kana looked out toward the sleeping city, where winter ruled with quiet authority.

If the culprits were hiding, they were doing so very well.

…

Morning arrived reluctantly, as if winter itself wished to stay in bed.

Kana yawned, the sound wide and unguarded, while pale light filtered through the windows of the copper classroom. Frost still traced the edges of the glass, and the room carried that early chill that clung to bones longer than it had any right to. Beside her, Suri mirrored the motion, stretching once before slumping forward, her chin hovering dangerously close to the desk.

They had arrived later than usual. Not late enough to be reprimanded, but late enough to draw attention.

Rin leaned over, curiosity bright despite the hour. “Did you do something fun last night?”

Kana coughed, straightening. “Not fun,” she said. “Dangerous.”

That earned a few raised brows.

Then Kana paused, a realization settling in. “Right. You’ll all be doing it tonight as well.”

The reaction was immediate.

Groans rolled through the classroom like a low wave. Someone muttered a curse. Chairs creaked as students slouched deeper into their seats as Kana told them about the new task. Suri flinched at the noise, eyes fluttering open for a moment before she promptly collapsed back into sleep, the world clearly deciding it could wait.

Since the culprit had not been captured, the decision had been swift.

All top five ranking groups from the last tournament were to continue nightly patrols.

There was a pattern now. Clear enough that even those who disliked thinking before noon could see it. Every victim had vanished in the middle of the night. No witnesses. No struggle. Just absence, like someone had been carefully erased from the city’s breathing rhythm.

So the days bled into each other.

Classes in the morning. Training in the afternoon. Patrols at night. On weekends, it grew worse. Knights took to the streets in force, sweeping the entire city under lantern light and watchful eyes, boots echoing through frozen avenues until dawn threatened the horizon once more.

Kana rested her cheek against her knuckles, eyes half-lidded but sharp beneath the fatigue.

Winter had not only stolen warmth from the city.

It had stolen its sleep.

…..

When the weekend arrived, Kana kept her promise.

She headed into the commoner district with Boris, Adam, Suri, and Rin, while the rest of their classmates scattered toward warmer homes and quieter plans. The air smelled of smoke and simmering broth, winter’s bite softened here by human closeness and stubborn cheer.

Kana slowed the moment they reached Yuri’s home.

People filled it.

So many, in fact, that part of the road had been closed off entirely. Tables stretched across the front of the house, laden with food and drink, steam rising like banners in the cold. Neighbors laughed, children ran between chairs, and someone had even hung bright cloth along the walls, turning the narrow street into something resembling a festival ground.

Kana blinked. “Is getting a copper adventurer license really this big of a deal?”

Rin shook her head gently. “Not everyone’s like you, Kana. Most people never pass the guild’s exam.” She glanced at the crowd. “Once you’re certified, you’re set. You won’t ever be jobless, and the pay is higher. Almost triple what most employers offer.”

“Is that so?” Kana said. “You know a lot about this. Planning to become one?”

Rin hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. I’ll probably try.”

“Me too,” Adam added. “In my third year.”

Kana opened her mouth to reply, then paused.

Suri and Boris were already at the table, plates piled high. Boris was choosing food with the seriousness of a battlefield decision. Suri had abandoned restraint entirely.

“Kana!” Asha called from the doorway, waving energetically. “Come inside!”

Opel stood behind her, apron tied tight, stirring a pot with one hand while greeting them with the other. As they entered, warmth wrapped around them like a blanket.

“Have a seat,” Asha said, then paused, glancing at Boris and Adam. “Ah… you two just stood up, alright?”

She looked mildly concerned, as if worried the chairs might not survive if Boris and Adam seated together. Boris and Adam understood immediately. They nodded and remained standing.

“Congratulations,” Kana said sincerely. Then her eyes narrowed with interest. “I’m planning to enter the Adventurer Guild too in my third year. Any tips?”

Asha looked surprised for a moment, then laughed. “You’ll pass for sure. This year’s exam focused on endurance. We walked for days. After that, we had to clear a low-level dungeon alone.”

Kana stiffened. “Even the boss?”

“Yes,” Asha said simply. “You must kill the boss by yourself.”

Kana nodded slowly. Clearing dungeon mobs was one thing. Facing a boss alone, especially without double-digit levels, was another matter entirely. It must be the way of the adventurer guild ensuring they could filter out the low level ones.

As food circulated and stories flowed, Asha explained the differences between combat-takers and support-takers, how guild paths diverged early, how some adventurers never drew a blade yet survived longer than those who did.

“Are you planning to take your first quest soon?” Rin asked.

Before Asha could answer, Suri returned, arms stacked with plates like a collapsing tower. 

As if expecting, Asha chuckled. “Yes, we took a quest. You’ve heard about the children disappearing in the city, yes?”

Kana nodded. Suri spoke through a full mouth, muttering curses about not being able to find the culprit.

“It might be a loose dungeon monster,” Asha said.

Kana gulped. Loose dungeon monsters were rare. Extremely rare. The northern dungeon was infamous for them, but that had been intentional. A dungeon releasing its own monsters was one thing due to the overflow of monsters. A monster escaping on its own was another entirely.

Those were dangerous.

“There have also been reports from nearby villages,” Asha continued. “Missing children.”

Suri froze mid-bite. “But this could still be human. The royal knights found several children a few nights ago. They were hidden in a temporary shelter made by humans.”

“Yes,” Asha agreed. “That’s the confusing part. The mana lingering on the children and the house wasn’t human.”

“If that monster is as intelligent as a human—” Rin began.

“Then it’s from a high-level dungeon,” Kana finished.

Asha nodded. “That’s why adventurers are being mobilized. Capture it or kill it. Human or not. The kingdom agreed.”

Suri frowned. “Why not just gather all the children in one place? Set a trap.”

“Some tried,” Asha said. “Whatever it is… it was aware of the trap.”

Suri nodded slowly. “Agreed. This thing’s slick. I can’t even glimpse its shadow. Should be at least that smart.”

…

The days that followed passed under a stretched wire of tension.

Kingdom soldiers, knights, Royal Knights. Adventurers. Academy students. All on alert.

And yet nothing happened.

Suri kept watch over the orphanage. Nothing. They scoured districts. Nothing. Even Pit joined the search but his abilities seemed not working with the culprit. Leaning more towards that the culprit itself was not something human.

Post note:

Past experience and what Kana will experience in the upcoming chapters will have an effect on the list of evolved class lists.

If Kana kills a powerful monster outside the dungeon? Will it give a lot of exp? hmmm….(not a spoiler, definitely) 😂

Hope you enjoy the chap 🙂