I sat at a nearby table to wait for Suzan, pulling out my phone and swiping through random screens, not really focused on anything. Doubts crept in—this whole forest trip sounded riskier by the second. I almost considered apologising and just walking away. But that two gold reward was too tempting. It’d cover one or two months of dorm rent at the Academy, and with the little I had left, I could finally buy essentials—like a dagger or something to defend myself. Kinowa wasn’t a place to wander around without protection, and it wasn't like I could get pepper spray here.

Just then, Suzan emerged from a back room, now draped in a long robe that covered most of her. She walked over with a slight nod. I pushed myself up from the table, brushing off my clothes with a sigh.

“Ugh…” She said, holding her hand up. “Stupid painting cut my finger again.”

“Painting?”

“Huh? Oh, just forget it.”

“Hmm…”

“So---we’re good to go.” Her voice was quiet but determined.

“Alright. Lead the way.”

Suzan gave a faint smile. “I really hope my dog’s still out there…”

I muttered an acknowledgment, watching as she held the door open for me to step outside.

“Not much of a talker, are you?” she teased as I passed through.

“Nah. Just… I don’t have much to say,” I replied, glancing around the crowded street.

Suzan chuckled as she closed the door behind us. “That’s the very definition of ‘not much of a talker,’ isn’t it?”

“Guess so,” I replied with a dull tone as we started walking.

After a few quiet steps, she turned slightly. “So… what’s your name?”

“Ax,” I answered simply.

“Interesting name. Nice to meet you, Ax,” she said, picking up the pace.

“Likewise.”

The silence didn’t last long. “Why aren’t you in school?” she asked, making an effort to keep the conversation going.

“Just enrolled today,” I said, feeling her curious gaze linger. “Feels like an interrogation.”

She let out a small laugh. “Just trying to make the walk a little less awkward. The forest’s a bit of a trek.”

Rounding a corner, I followed a few steps behind. “How far is that cabin, anyway?”

“Fifteen minutes… maybe twenty.” She paused, recalling. “When I followed that elf there, I chickened out halfway and ran back. Took five minutes, tops.”

“Yeah, I’d rather walk,” I replied dryly.

“Same here.” She kept pace, glancing back with a grin. “Which class are you in?”

“F.”

She raised an eyebrow, letting out a low whistle. “If my mom knew you were in F, she probably wouldn’t trust you to go with me.”

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I shrugged. “Guess I’m lucky she didn’t ask.”

“Guess so,” she replied with a smirk. “Must mean your mana pool’s pretty bad. No offense. But hey, I was in Class D, so I can’t really talk.”

“Is it true Class F has to pay for dorms?”

“Yep,” she nodded, a little too enthusiastically. “Two gold coins a month, I think. And meals aren’t included... I think?"

I grunted, doing some quick calculations in my head. “Is there… free healthcare, at least?”

“Free… what?” She glanced over her shoulder, frowning. “Oh! Nope, nothing like that here.”

“Student loans, no free healthcare, discrimination…” I muttered under my breath. “Feels just like home.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” I said, brushing it off. “Let’s keep moving.”

Suzan scoffed and quickened her pace, her expression clearly saying she’d had enough of the back-and-forth. I picked up my stride, staying just a step behind her. Beneath her robe, I couldn’t tell if she was carrying a weapon; not the smartest choice if we’d run into trouble. I still had the Queen’s dagger, but using it here was too risky—I didn’t want to risk damaging it. If we were heading into the forest with nothing but bare hands, this was going to be sketchy.

Suzan glanced over her shoulder, catching me looking her way. She raised an eyebrow, probably thinking I was being a pervert since I was checking where her belt would be under that robe.

“Teenagers,” she muttered, rolling her eyes.

I shook my head. “Nah, I was just checking if you had any weapons.”

She smiled, reaching under her robe to reveal a slim dagger at her belt. “Wouldn’t be out here without this little beauty.”

I gave a brief nod. “Good to know.”

We continued walking, slipping past the open city gate. She tilted her head, curious. “So… any family?”

The question caught me off guard. I took a moment before answering, keeping up the story I’d been telling. “They’ve been dead for ten years. I was all alone when those goblins attacked my village.”

She let out a low hum, clearly surprised. “Heard something about goblins hitting a village. So you were there? Living by yourself?”

“Yeah.” I kept my tone flat, hoping she’d let the topic drop.

“That’s… illegal, isn’t it?” she asked, clearly not letting it go. “Every kid your age has to be in school, learning magic and all. And the closest school is here in Kinowa.”

I sighed, steering the conversation away. “Let’s talk about something else. How about you? You were in Class D, right?”

She groaned, slumping her shoulders a bit. “Don’t remind me. School days were a nightmare.”

“Hmm.”

“You won’t ask why?”

“No.”

“Huh. Wow. What a jerk.”

As we made our way toward that tavern with the uniform displayed on its wall, I noticed the woman I’d helped with her runaway sheep standing nearby, chatting with a young boy who looked like her son. She caught my eye and gave a friendly wave.

“Oh, hey. Thanks for finding my sheep, kid.”

I nodded back. “Hmm. No problem, ma’am.”

She smiled warmly. “Thank you again! Much appreciated.”

Suzan muttered under her breath, “So it was you…”

I raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Suzan stifled a grin. “I’d heard about some guy wandering out of the forest, baaing like a sheep to lead it home. Never thought it was you.”

I kept my face neutral. “I wasn’t ‘baaing.’”

“Oh, baaahck off,” she shot back, barely holding back a smirk. “Or I’ll baaahckhand you.”

I gave her a flat look. “Hilarious.”

“Just kidding,” she said, laughing lightly as she continued walking. “Why are you so… I don't know, stone-faced, anyway? Not once has your expression changed. It’s like talking to a wall.”

“Then how about we keep quiet?” I offered, picking up the pace to stay level with her.

She shook her head, amused. “You don’t know how to talk to a lady, do you? So much to learn, young one.”

“Hmm.”

Suzan waved her hand in dismissal, finally giving me some peace. “Anyway, come on—five, maybe ten more minutes of walking and we’re there.”

“Got it.” I murmured, falling into step behind her.

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