The blood had flown everywhere. On his hands, mostly, but some had gotten on his face. It felt warm, perhaps soothing in another setting, but the strong smell of iron that came from it made Verity feel nauseous.

He’d just killed someone.

Ash was no longer breathing, and the light from his eyes had faded. He hadn’t died peacefully, which was made evident from the last expression on his face. When Verity looked into the dead man’s eyes, all he could see was final, desperate anger.

Perhaps strong enough to curse him from the afterlife.

Verity stumbled back, his breathing quick, and his hands trembling. He let go of the spear still embedded in Ash’s throat. He tried to look away but couldn’t remove his gaze away from Ash’s body as the pool of blood under him widened.

‘I killed someone.’

It was to be expected. He’d read about stories with this kind of setting thousands of times. Killing someone else was inevitable. It’d have to happen eventually. If not of his own free will, he’d certainly have to do so because others would want to kill him.

But he couldn’t even explain how he felt after doing so. Killing monsters–a goblin, or an orc was one thing, but this was different. Ash was a terrible person, greedy for power and with no regard for life, but still, he had his own dreams and aspirations.

Perhaps his mother awaited his return, silently counting the days, or perhaps he had a child he needed to take care of when he returned. What about his friends, or his partner even? How would they feel when Ash never returned from his mission?

Verity had robbed them of Ash, and he had robbed Ash of everything, forever. His heart raced and his mind spiraled.

He looked at his hands, lathered in a thick and warm crimson liquid. ‘Blood….It’s… everywhere…’

As he slowly entered a state of panic, a firm hand landed atop his shoulder, and he suddenly felt a tranquil energy enter his body. The guilt had not disappeared, but he could now at least think clearly. “You’ve done well, kid.” The mysterious woman whispered in his ear.

Verity couldn’t tell what kind of expression she was making.

She then turned to Eleanor, and the young girl jumped. “I—W-wait!! You can’t kill me!!”

Verity wondered if he was going to be tasked with killing her too. Would the second time be easier?

Suddenly, Eleanor showed the back of her hand where a seal was engraved. She was shaking, terrified of what might happen to her. “S-See this.. I-it’s the seal of m-my family!! If I die, they’ll b-be notified immediately and they’ll know exactly where you are!!!”

By all means, Eleanor should have been fleeing by now, but she still had the composure not to do so. Whether it was Verity or the woman, she had no chance to outrun them. She could only stay here and plead, hoping her silver tongue, or her family, would save her once again.

Verity stood up, and marched toward his spear. In the end, he understood what he needed to do. He killed Ash because he could not handle the consequences of letting him live, and so he would kill Eleanor for the same reason. His location might be revealed, but if she returns, then, his death is ensured.

His steps were heavy, so heavy he nearly dragged his feet. Verity was exhausted, but he still put one foot in front of the other, and grabbed his spear.

Eleanor could see the newfound determination in his eyes. Verity was seriously going to kill her if she just stood still.

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“I said wait dammit!! Did you not hear what I just said?!” Tears welled up in her eyes. “T-this seal will mark you if I die!! You’ll seriously never be able to escape my family!! J-just let me go and I promise I’ll never even think about you again! Please!!!”

Lies. Verity wouldn’t waver twice.

He slowly walked toward her, ignoring her frantic pleading. But before he could reach her, an outstretched hand blocked his path.

He turned his gaze toward the woman, an unreadable, cold expression on his face. “Why are you stopping me?” He asked her.

“She’s telling the truth” The woman replied, her soft voice echoing throughout the clearing. “You can’t kill her, lest you want to be chased until the ends of the earth, not that you’ll make it there with your strength.”

Verity frowned. “And if I let her go, won’t I die regardless?”

“Yes, you will.” She replied flatly.

“…Then what would you do if you were me?”

The woman shrugged. “If I were you, I’d think the situation was utterly hopeless.”

Verity’s irritation sparked. “Wha-”

“But luckily, I’m not you, and you ran into me, so you’ll be fine.”

Before Verity could say anything, the woman pulled back the sleeve of her cloak, and a seal, similar to Eleanor’s, but also quite different was revealed on the back of her hand. Verity had never seen anything like it.

Eleanor had, however.

When she laid eyes on the seal, it was almost as if Eleanor had forgotten how to breathe. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. The color in her face drained, and cold sweat ran down her face. For a moment, she could only mumble incoherent words under her breath, and clutch her dress as if it were a lifeline.

Then, having regained a semblance of sanity, she raised the hem of her dress and bowed. Her voice cracked as she stammered out the few words she could.

“I-I offer my late greetings to the Duchess, Ev-”

The woman held a finger to her lips. “Shhh.” She said with a finality in her voice that made Eleanor tremble. “Now run along, kid, or I’ll have a word with your father about this.”

‘Duchess…? I’m pretty sure that’s the highest rank besides King or Queen, right?’ Verity thought.

Seriously, just who was this woman?

Eleanor seemed to know, and she was quick to heed the command.

“O-of course, Duchess. I’ll leave as soon as the carriage driver awakens…” Eleanor said, her whole body shaking.

‘How could this go so wrong…!!’ She thought, her mind racing.

From the beginning, the mysterious woman hadn't been someone as insignificant as an investigator. No, Eleanor now knew that she was much more powerful, and much more dangerous. It made sense now. Ash had never stood a chance, no matter how hard he had tried. From the moment she entered the clearing, their fates had been sealed.

Eleanor still couldn’t see her face because of the cloak, but she didn’t need to. The seal had been enough. The woman standing in front of her was…

Duchess of the Terras Kingdom, and the Heroic rank adventurer known as the Spear of Hell, Evangelina Dreadmoore herself.

More than a person, she was a legend, and someone she should never, ever mess with.

“Good. Looks like we’re done here.” She seemed satisfied. “Ah, and as for the beast woman and the old man, I’d hate for anything unfortunate to happen to them.” Her voice dropped an octave as she tilted her head. “I wouldn’t want to have to get angry, you see.” She said as she turned around.

Feeling the bloodlust from that last sentence, Eleanor nodded frantically, keeping her head low and her hands clasped together. “Y-yes, of course!”

She had to obey, or her entire family might suffer the consequences.

Content, Evangelina gave a satisfied nod and slowly made her way toward the dense forest which surrounded the clearing. She was ready to return to her original task.

As Verity watched her leave, he felt something. It was as though the world itself spoke to something deep within his soul. This moment was incredibly important, it would define the rest of his life. He suddenly remembered the objective of this trial : ‘Learn’.

“Wait!!” He shouted without even realizing he had spoken the words out loud.

The woman paused mid-step, and turned her head, looking over her shoulder. “What is it, kid?” She asked, her voice carrying a sense of curiosity.

Verity’s heart pounded in his chest. His spear in hand, Verity ran toward her, and his knees hit the dirt as he bowed low. He had not learnt the proper manners of this world, so he did it as properly as he could.

“Please… Allow me to become your disciple.”

Verity knew that he had met someone who would be incredibly important to him for the rest of his life. He didn’t know why exactly, but he felt that this encounter couldn’t have been mere coincidence.

He wasn’t the superstitious type, but he genuinely believed he’d just experienced a fateful encounter.

And he wasn’t the only one.

In a vibrant forest bathed in golden sunlight, far from Verity’s, Felicia woke up, her vision blurry and her head throbbing. She slowly opened her eyes, and she looked around her, more confused than ever.

‘Just where the hell am I now…?’