Nicole stood despondently at the entrance of the Beast Tamer Guild, her belongings unceremoniously tossed out and strewn about her. Guild members at the doorway whispered and scorned her loudly.

"Failed to tame a beast four times already, and now she resorts to enlisting a werewolf Druid to cheat? Quite audacious."

"If one lacks the talent, better to return to the countryside and farm—why bother with this folly?"

"…even the Dawn Prayers have come."

"She has disgraced our guild."

"Just go!"

With a loud slam, the door shut behind her, the gust of wind tossing her hair and revealing her forlorn and aggrieved face.

"…I didn't…I didn't cheat…I just…" she choked up, unable to continue.

She thought of all the efforts she had made to become a beast tamer, all the sweat she had shed, all for naught. She mourned for herself, her grief intensifying her bitterness.

Giving up was not in her vocabulary, no matter how cruel the blow; she forced herself to stand and move forward.

Yet, for some reason, tears uncontrollably welled up in her eyes this time. She slapped her cheeks, attempting to muster her courage, but when she tried to lift her bags, she couldn't.

Those bags, filled with personal items accumulated during her apprenticeship at the guild, weren't usually heavy for her; she could run laps with them in the training field without tiring. Why then did they now seem unbearably heavy?

"What's wrong with me…"

Looking at the bags, a fresh wave of sorrow assaulted her. She remembered Kuro, his true form, the strange man who had looked at her with such longing even while an arrow pierced his abdomen. No one was there to answer her myriad questions.

After being hit by Evans's paralyzing arrow, even after Aurora's treatment, the werewolf Druid did not wake from his coma and was ultimately taken away by Aurora and the people of the Beast Tamer Guild.

Who was he really? Why had he approached her? Why had everything turned out this way?

"What a lovely day, isn't it, little Nicole?"

Suddenly, an aged voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see an elderly woman with snow-white hair sitting by the guild's entrance, basking in the sun.

Nicole recognized her. This elderly lady was a well-known seer in Northsail, nameless and without a fixed abode, which frustrated those seeking her prophecies. Her presence was like a ghost, a legend of Northsail.

Ghosts don't cast shadows, but the elderly lady certainly did. Nicole had verified it more than once.

"Are you leaving on a journey?" the elderly lady's voice carried a hint of concern.

"No," Nicole shook her head, looking earnestly at her, "I will return here, to the Beast Tamer Guild." She turned back to the firmly shut doors.

The elderly lady smiled faintly, showing the two remaining teeth in her mouth. She shook her head slowly but firmly, "No, child. You will not return here. Not to this place, not ever."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

Nicole didn't understand and was about to ask why when the seer spoke again, "A lengthy journey lies ahead, tread carefully. Shadows lurk all around you."

Nicole was even more confused, just as the elderly lady slowly lifted her head. For the first time, Nicole saw her clearly.

Her face was deeply wrinkled like trenches etched into the earth. Her cloudy, dim eyes seemed to look right through Nicole, seeing something distant and unreachable.

"Fear not, for beyond the veil of light, a welcoming soul awaits…" The elderly lady's voice turned ethereal.

At that moment, a familiar voice called from behind her, "Nicole?"

Nicole turned to see a beloved figure backlit by the sun, smiling at her. The brilliant sunlight made his blonde hair shimmer even more intensely, and his white robe made him look like an angel descended from the realm of light, so sacred and warm.

"Rivern, what are you doing here?" Nicole was surprised to see him here.

"I've come to fetch you," Rivern explained softly, his usual gentle demeanor unchanged. He carried a simple travel backpack and a white jade staff, casting a long shadow before him due to his tall stature.

The elderly lady's voice echoed as if from a distance, still whispering something, "…But bear in mind, the day you grasp the whole, all shall fade as fate dictates…"

Nicole turned back, but the elderly lady had vanished without a trace. The spot where she had been sitting was now occupied by Rivern's shadow.

"elderly lady…?" Nicole looked incredulously at the empty space, asking Rivern, "She was just sitting here talking to me, how could she…"

"When I saw you, you were standing here alone," Rivern looked puzzled.

Nicole turned around and saw her bags thrown on the ground, her sorrow resurging. She stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to begin speaking.

"I know what happened," Rivern said as he casually picked up the bags, gesturing for Nicole to follow him. "Come on, Quigeta has invited us to have a meal at his tavern."

Nicole remained stationary, her head bowed. "Has the news already spread to Echowater Town?"

"No, I was in Northsail on a mission and only learned about the incident at the Beast Tamer Guild when I arrived. That's when I came to see you."

"I didn't cheat, I just…" Nicole clenched her fists, wanting to defend herself, but the words of Evans echoed in her mind—unable to distinguish between a real beast and a mimic, you lack the qualifications of a beast tamer, you lack talent.

With that thought, Nicole found herself without a rebuttal. She sighed silently, "Do I really have no talent?"

Rivern remained silent, his thoughts heavy as he led her away.

Feeling Rivern's silence as if it were an answer, Nicole lowered her head and followed him morosely.

The two walked through the streets of Northsail, the afternoon sun growing hot and oppressive. Their journey was marked by an eerie silence. Normally, Rivern would have tried to comfort Nicole, but this time he remained silent, which made her feel even more uneasy.

After crossing several streets, Rivern caught sight of the silver doorbell at Quigeta's tavern and finally spoke, "Nicole, you shouldn't blame yourself. If there's anyone to blame, blame me. Because it was I who wrote to Aurora. If it weren't for that letter, they wouldn't have come to the trial tournament."

Hearing this, Nicole stopped abruptly. Rivern also stopped but didn't turn around.

"So you knew from the beginning?" Nicole asked sharply, her sadness overwhelming. Even Rivern, a priest, could detect something off about Kuro, so why hadn't she sensed anything?

"So I really am… utterly without talent."

"Nicole…"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Did you also want to see me fail?!"

Rivern, not daring to face her, replied, "I couldn't be sure of my suspicions; I had no evidence. I'm sorry. If my judgment was wrong…"

Nicole cut him off sharply, "Enough! I don't want to hear it! You told the high priest that Kuro might be a demon, setting a trap for him at the tournament. If Kuro really was a demon, then you'd be a hero, right? If he wasn't, and was something else, you'd prevent me from becoming a beast tamer. You knew cheating would get me expelled from the guild, right? Are you satisfied now? I'll never have a chance to become a beast tamer!"

"Nicole, it's not like that, listen to me…"

Nicole didn't wait for his explanation; she dropped the bags and ran off swiftly.

A burly swordsman with a scruffy beard, standing at the entrance of the tavern, witnessed the entire scene. He walked over to Rivern and patted the priest's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"I'll bring her back. Go ahead inside."

"I'm counting on you, Quigeta," Rivern, worried, glanced in the direction Nicole had gone, finally pushed open the door, and went inside.