* * *

Kaindel suddenly changed the topic, catching Isa off guard.

Isa carefully grabbed Kaindel’s wrist—the very hand that had unknowingly been resting against Isa’s face.

His hand, which had been playfully lingering along Isa’s graceful lips and reddened earlobes, finally came to a halt.

What broke the ensuing silence was the loud thrum of someone’s pulse where their skin met.

“Was it that strange to see me smile?”

“Not particularly.”

Somehow, it felt like a hollow question.

Kaindel, looking at the white hand encircling his wrist, shook his head slightly and chuckled under his breath.

Only then did their gazes, which had been entangled for so long, finally part.

“It’s just… I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen you smile.”

Isa was kind to everyone—so much so that he would even water weeds growing by the roadside.

Yet, only in front of Kaindel did he become awkward and clumsy.

Despite Kaindel’s towering presence, he had never treated Isa roughly.

Even so, Isa always seemed to lose his composure around him, trembling like a herbivore facing a predator.

A month had already passed since they first met, yet this dynamic hadn’t changed.

Until now, Kaindel didn’t mind this different side of Isa.

It felt like Isa’s nervous behavior hinted at his feelings, and Kaindel was content with the notion that Isa treated him differently than others.

But seeing Isa smile so openly now left Kaindel with a strange sensation.

Something stirred uncomfortably within him.

If he had to describe it, it felt like trying to swallow something jagged and getting it stuck in his throat.

“Then, does that mean you like living in this village?”

“…Not particularly. I’ve just lived here my whole life.”

“Have you ever thought about leaving?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it.”

“If you wanted, you could leave anytime.”

Perhaps, Kaindel thought, that’s why his feelings began to shift.

“After all, I’ll be leaving soon.”

The idea that he initially toyed with—to amuse himself with this innocent heart until he left Luther—had started to change.

“If you want to, you can come with me, Isa.”

The thought of leaving Isa behind in this remote village had become unbearably regretful.

Determined to take Isa with him, Kaindel approached his comrades.

While he intended to bring Isa along regardless of their consent, it seemed necessary to at least inform them as a formality.

As expected, none of his comrades welcomed the idea.

To them, Isa was merely a staff member at Alice’s tavern.

Amid the flood of objections, the loudest opposition came from Ruen.

“You’ve completely lost it.”

“Did I put a rag in your mouth? Try to use civilized language, please.”

“Oh, so you really have gone mad.”

“And that’s supposed to be polite?”

“For heaven’s sake, I’d use polite words if the situation called for it, you brainless fool.”

“Did you just call me brainless?”

Ruen’s harsh language didn’t sit well with Owen, who furrowed his brow deeply.

Behind his glasses, his eyes gleamed with a sharpness that seemed ready to unleash a torrent of insults.

Before the atmosphere could heat up further, Sehir sighed and stepped between them.

“Enough, Ruen. Owen, that’s enough from you too.”

“But—”

“Let’s hear what Kaindel has to say first.”

Sehir glanced toward Kaindel, who was perched on the windowsill, staring outside as usual.

There was no missing it—Kaindel’s recent change in demeanor.

Sehir had already noticed the shift in his emotions and knew it was tied to Isa.

“What on earth makes you want to take Isa along?”

At that, Kaindel finally turned his gaze toward them.

Outside, Isa was just re-entering the tavern after taking out the trash.

His honey-gold eyes, now sharper, seemed to pierce through Kaindel, as if seeking the truth.

Kaindel responded with a small, almost indifferent laugh, as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.

“He knows a lot about dealing with the Calamity. He could be useful.”

“Is that all?”

Sehir’s skeptical tone cut through Kaindel’s explanation.

No one could deny that Isa was knowledgeable about the Calamity.

However, most of his information—aside from minor details like how the Mother hunted—was already known.

Sehir immediately dismissed Kaindel’s reasoning as a lie.

“What else?”

“Is there another reason I need?”

Kaindel tilted his head as if genuinely puzzled.

In truth, he couldn’t deny that he felt drawn to Isa.

Whether it was because of his shimmering silver hair that lingered in his mind, or because of the humor in his actions, Kaindel couldn’t say.

If anything, it was closer to the former, which is why he had given the explanation he did.

But Kaindel himself couldn’t pinpoint why his resolve to take Isa solidified when he saw that innocent smile.

It wasn’t as if Isa’s laughter was breathtakingly beautiful, yet he found it impossible to look away.

Reflecting on the dissonance Isa’s smile stirred within him, Kaindel finally understood—it was because it reminded him of his first love.

“I love Kaindel.”

“……”

“I’ll give you your gift when we meet again.”

The memory of the man who had called him a “little Fairy” resurfaced in Kaindel’s mind.

He regretted not seeing the expression of the man who had promised to meet him again when he grew up.

The feverish ache that had once kept Kaindel awake at night had faded with time.

But the memories of the man lingered vividly, even now, as his thoughts wandered to Isa.

What had the man looked like?

Kaindel reflexively reached for the memories but then lowered his gaze.

The man’s face had become blurry with time.

All he could recall was his slender frame, pale skin, and strikingly red lips—but nothing more.

It’s time to let go.

Kaindel ran a hand through his hair as he calculated how much time had passed.

Over a decade had slipped by.

It was only natural that the man’s once-clear image had faded.

As Sehir observed Kaindel, his lips parted slightly, and he spoke in a somber tone.

“Kaindel.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re acting strange lately.”

Kaindel chuckled, shaking his shoulders as if amused.

He had a feeling he knew what Sehir was trying to say.

Thinking about Isa, and the meaning behind his thoughts, made it all the clearer.

“It’s a useless worry. You think I’d get attached to someone who’s the same as me?”

“It sure looks like it.”

“Sehir.”

“If you’re asking whether I support bringing Isa along, my answer is no. It’s dangerous enough already—how could we bring someone who can’t even protect himself? He could die out there.”

“……”

“But if you’re dead set on this, Kaindel, then…”

Sehir’s words trailed off, heavy with unspoken meaning.

Kaindel frowned slightly at Sehir’s pointed warning. He knew the risks all too well.

The Gayat mountain range, where the Calamity nested, was a death trap, even for seasoned mercenaries.

Isa, lacking the ability to protect himself, would likely be the first to fall.

No matter how closely Kaindel watched over him, gaps in vigilance were inevitable.

Despite being fully aware of everything, Kaindel did not waver in his decision to take Isa with him.

He believed that whether Isa lived or died in the Gayat Mountains was none of his concern.

After all, wasn’t death inevitable for all humans?

“Fine, whatever.”

At Kaindel’s indifferent response, Sehir crossed his arms in reluctant resignation.

His chest rose and fell sharply, signaling an effort to suppress a sigh.

“Do as you wish.”

It was a vague approval that came after much reluctance.

Once Sehir gave his consent, everything progressed quickly.

Kaindel turned his gaze to Sehir as if preparing to leave the room, then glanced around at the others.

Ruen and Owen, who had been quarreling earlier, were still watching his confrontation with Sehir.

Meanwhile, Daniel, seated in a corner, fought off sleep with languid eyes.

“What about you?” Kaindel asked.

“I don’t mind,” Daniel replied.

“Same here,” Owen added.

Their answers came quickly.

Though Owen’s expression suggested he wasn’t entirely pleased, he shrugged as if to indicate he wouldn’t oppose it for now.

“Tch.”

The final holdout, Ruen, hesitated for several long moments before begrudgingly stepping back.

He couldn’t well refuse alone when the rest of the group had already agreed.

“You ask as if you’re not going to do whatever you want anyway.”

And just like that, without his knowledge, Isa’s participation was decided.

It had been less than a day since Kaindel proposed they leave together.

* * *