# World Year 985, July 12th, Carmen City

  The midday sun lashed at the streets like tongues of flame, creating shimmering waves of heat rising from the cobblestone pavement, distorting the scenery until it resembled a mirage floating in some ethereal realm. The cicadas' hoarse chirping echoed through the hot, stagnant air, like the telling of a long-forgotten prophecy.

  Qian clutched tightly to Thern's sleeve as they weaved through the crowd. Sweat trickled down the young girl's slender neck, dripping into the collar of her mage robe—transparent and sticky like falling crystals.

  "This is all your fault for taking that cursed mission..." the girl complained, tugging at her sweat-soaked robe. The red jasper pendant against her chest left a faint red mark on her skin. "Now we don't even have money left for iced lemon juice!"

  Thern smiled ruefully, casually wiping away the beads of sweat on his forehead with the back of his hand. He looked down at the few copper coins in his pouch, which felt almost hot to the touch, and sighed softly. A month ago, when they had first received their adventurer licenses, they were full of boundless dreams. Now, they looked as pitiful as desert lizards withering in the sunlight.

  He glanced sideways at the girl who was now pouting and complaining, and couldn't help but smile. He reached into his money pouch and pulled out those few copper coins, which gleamed with a dull metallic luster in the sunlight.

  "Hey, what are you smiling at? This is all your fault that we're in this situation!" The girl glared at him indignantly.

  "Qian," Thern said in a gentle tone, "do you remember what you said the day we got our adventurer licenses?"

  Qian frowned. "What did I say?"

  "You said, 'No matter what difficulties we face, we'll keep going forward—that's the meaning of adventure.'" Thern returned the copper coins to his pouch, then took out a small water flask from his backpack and handed it to her. "At least we still have water."

  Qian took the flask with a light huff but still took small sips. The water was nearly as warm as her body temperature, yet it still somewhat relieved her thirst. She looked up at Thern's face, slightly reddened by the sun, and the corners of her mouth inadvertently turned up. The light danced in her amber eyes, clear and deep like a forest lake at dusk.

  "You're always like this," she said, returning the flask to Thern while running her fingers through her hair, shaking her head as she tidied the sweat-soaked strands clinging to her cheeks. "You always know just what to say to make me feel better. I had sworn to stay angry for the whole day!"

  Thern smiled without speaking, his eyes gazing into the distance. The fountain in the central square of Carmen City glittered in the sunlight, water droplets arcing in perfect parabolas, falling like countless tiny crystal jewels. Several richly dressed noble children were playing and frolicking there, their robes embroidered with family crests, gold and silver threads gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight.

  The splashing water created ripples in the sunlight, like a shower of crystal fragments, reminiscent of that rainy night.

  "What are you thinking about?" Qian keenly noticed the distant look in his eyes and asked softly. She had always been able to sense his emotional changes, just like during their first encounter at St. Margaret's Cathedral.

  "Nothing, just recalling some old memories," Thern replied, withdrawing his gaze, his eyes slightly dimmed.

  Qian didn't press further; she knew about Thern's past, those events he rarely mentioned. She still remembered that stormy night five years ago when she discovered the blood-covered boy Thern while secretly eating communion wafers in the church's confessional. At that time, he was only fourteen, yet had already endured hardships that most people couldn't bear in a lifetime—witnessing his family consumed by political intrigue, watching his father stabbed through the chest by a traitor's sword right before his eyes, and being forced to flee with only his father's sword.

  "At least we have water, right?" She deliberately mimicked his earlier tone, trying to dispel the gloom in his eyes. "Compared to that night when you fled into the cathedral, we're doing much better now." She spoke of the past lightly, as if discussing an old joke.

  Thern's gaze refocused, and a smile tugged at his lips. "Yes, at least we're no longer a soaking wet fugitive and a little troublemaker stealing communion wafers."

  He still remembered how that brown-haired girl had hidden him in the cathedral's attic, sneaking food and herbs to him every day, helping him clean his wounds, and keeping vigil through the night when he had a fever. And that girl was Qian, standing beside him now—lively, energetic, with a gentle heart.

  "Sister Antonia used to say that crying children get an extra piece," Qian reminisced, her voice playful. "I used that excuse to get a lot more bread."

  "I guess the sisters knew all along and just turned a blind eye," Thern said, his voice softening. During those days in hiding, the cathedral's nuns, though never explicitly stating it, had silently provided him with sanctuary.

  "Of course, they knew everything," Qian said, winking lightly. "Just like they knew you would never abandon me in a dangerous place."

  This was their secret pact. From the day Thern decided to leave the cathedral and embark on the path of adventure, Qian had insisted on following him. And Thern had promised that no matter when or where, he would never leave her behind. This promise was engraved in his heart like a brand.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "Let's go," Thern gently patted Qian's shoulder, the warmth of his palm conveying a steadfast resolve, as if answering the hand that had pulled him from despair years ago. "The Adventurers' Guild is just ahead. Perhaps today we can find a decent quest. We need to prove to the sisters that their trust wasn't misplaced."

  "Right!" Qian sprang up, the hem of her mage robe fluttering like a butterfly about to take flight, creating a gentle breeze with her movement. "Let's go! We can't retreat just because of one failure! I am Qian Altoria, the most talented elemental apprentice of the 27th class at Carmen Junior Magic Academy!"

  She gracefully traced an elegant arc in front of her chest with her right hand, the residual magic at her fingertips cutting through the air, leaving a briefly vibrating trace like a fleeting gleam in the dawn.

  Thern chuckled softly. This was what made Qian so precious—like a summer thunderstorm, fierce and swift, yet full of unending vitality. His fingers unconsciously slid toward the ancient sword at his waist. Though the engravings on the scabbard had been worn by time, the word "Honor" remained clearly visible. This sword was not only the last relic left by his father but also a witness that had accompanied him through the dust of years, and an oath to guard their destiny in the future.

  They passed through the busy marketplace, their footsteps making a dull sound against the cobblestones, lost in the market's clamor. Merchants in attire from different regions called out loudly, speaking different languages but all conveying the same enthusiasm.

  "Remember when we first left the cathedral?" Qian suddenly spoke up. "You taught me how to use a dagger, and I always clumsily cut myself."

  "But now you're an excellent magician," Thern smiled, looking at the faintly glowing red jasper pendant on her chest, a symbol she received upon graduating from the Magic Academy. "Even more radiant than we once imagined on the streets."

  "But we're still broke," Qian sighed softly. "If only we hadn't taken that suspicious quest. But at least Uncle Randel reminded us to check the Adventurers' Guild." That blacksmith with the thick beard and hearty laugh—it was he who regularly maintained Thern's sword and provided them with useful information.

  Thern nodded thoughtfully, "He specifically mentioned yesterday that some monsters had strange magical traces on them... For a blacksmith to notice this, it's indeed unusual."

  Finally, an ancient stone building appeared before them—the Adventurers' Guild.

  This century-old building stood quietly on the street, its stone walls covered in ivy, like textures that time had grown through the years. The towering double columns at the entrance were as thick as three people could embrace, carved with totems of legendary monsters and brave adventurers, silently telling the stories of generations of inheritance and glory.

  "Uncle Randel was right," Qian stood before the guild's entrance, saying softly. "It's much busier here than usual."

  Thern nodded. They stepped through the stone doorway together and were immediately greeted by a bustling atmosphere: experienced veterans and greenhorns intermingled, talking in groups of three or five, either loudly debating or whispering concerns, the air filled with a mixture of sweat, metal, and residual magic.

  They pushed through the noisy crowd and finally reached the guild's main hall. In the center of the spacious stone hall was a large circular counter, where several guild staff were busy attending to adventurers coming to inquire about and accept quests. On one side of the hall hung a massive bulletin board, densely packed with various quest notices, with different colored parchments indicating the difficulty levels of the tasks.

  "Look! This one! 'Shadow Worm Swarm Investigation'! The reward is a whole ten gold coins!" Qian stood on her tiptoes, excitedly pointing at a high-level quest on the bulletin board. Her chestnut hair swept smoothly across Thern's nose, releasing a faint fragrance like the first bloom of spring.

  It was a high-risk commission requiring adventurers to go to the southwestern woodlands to investigate a strange magical creature called the "Shadow Worm." The notice specifically warned that these creatures could release toxins that corroded the soul, limiting the quest to experienced adventurer teams only.

  "Rejected," Thern shook his head without hesitation. "The premise of adventure is coming back alive. Rookies who go off to die will never drink lemon juice again."

  "But ten gold coins..." the girl pouted dissatisfiedly, taking out her account book from her bosom and mumbling, "That's enough to pay several months of rent! We could even donate some to the cathedral... and buy new alchemical ink and robes..." Her fingers moved quickly over the account book, as if each number was a step towards an ideal life.

  Before she could finish, Thern raised his finger and tapped her precisely on the forehead, stopping her mid-sentence: "You've barely used your celestial ink. Use it up before you go getting yourself killed." His tone was firm and unyielding, yet mixed with concern for her safety.

  Qian yelped softly in pain and admitted defeat: "Ugh... fine." Though she appeared resigned, her eyes still sparkled with unwillingness and stubbornness.

  Thern's lips curled into a slight smile as his eyes continued to scan the myriad quest notices. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a seemingly ordinary parchment tucked in a corner. Unlike the other elaborate announcements, this parchment was plain and unadorned, its handwriting neat but carrying a sense of urgency.

  "'Nightmare Vine Clearance, Trial Forest Northern Section,'" Thern read out the quest name, his voice tinged with interest. "Reward: twelve silver coins, plus one vial of low-grade mana restoration potion."

  Qian moved closer, her gaze peering over his shoulder, her expression gradually brightening: "This is easy! We're totally qualified for this!"

  Thern carefully examined the task details, noting that the commission came from a forest keeper in the Trial Forest, a retired adventurer named Allen. The task required clearing a strange plant species—Nightmare Vines—that had recently invaded the northern section of the forest. These plants could release weak illusions to confuse animals, then entangle their prey with vines, gradually draining their life energy and magical power.

  "This works," Thern nodded after a moment of contemplation, the quest details reflected in his deep gaze. "Although there might be dangers, it's within our capabilities. And I'm also curious about these suddenly appearing magical creatures... This time, we won't mess up. I promise you, just like I promised in the cathedral all those years ago."

  Qian's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Then it's settled! Twelve silver coins! Plus a mana potion—this is much more reliable than that weird gem identification quest from last time!" She spoke cheerfully, the red jasper pendant swaying gently with her movements, reflecting a warm glow.

  Thern smiled as he took down the quest notice, though another thought silently surfaced in his mind: this seemingly simple clearance task might not be so simple after all. If even Uncle Randel had noticed something unusual, perhaps there were clues yet to emerge—about these abnormal magical creatures that had been appearing frequently lately, and the deeper reasons behind them.

  "Let's go," he said softly. "First, let's register and accept the quest, then prepare the necessary supplies. We'll set out tomorrow morning."