The journey back from the Verdant Hollow was slow and silent. The air felt heavier, not just from the humidity of the dense woods, but from the weight of unanswered questions. The party trudged behind a pair of armored guards, who had arrived just minutes after Kyoichi vanished into the trees.
Renjiro walked in front, his usual composed demeanor faltering into a contemplative quiet. Beside him, Akari kept her arms crossed tightly, her expression unreadable. Mayu clutched her staff and looked downward, her brows furrowed in thought. Daichi followed at the rear, every few seconds glancing over his shoulder, as if half-expecting Kyoichi to show up again.
But he didn't.
Instead, they carried with them only the corpse of the monstrous Alpha Wolf, slung across a summoned earth platform that floated beside them with Akari's magic. The creature's body was still faintly glowing—residual mana clinging to its mangled form, hinting at its unnatural origin.
"What… was he?" Mayu finally broke the silence, her voice soft but trembling slightly. "Kyoichi. I mean… we saw what he did. That wasn't telekinesis."
"No," Akari said flatly. "It wasn't."
"He caught that thing's claws with his bare hands and hurled it like it weighed nothing," Daichi added, tone edged with disbelief. "I don't care how strong your magic is. That's not normal. That's—hell, even monsters don't do that."
Renjiro didn't respond right away. The words circled in his mind like vultures. He had been the one to ask it—Who are you?—and Kyoichi's reply still rang in his ears:
"Maybe I won't join your team at the end of the day."
No explanation. No excuse. No smile. Just a cold, casual statement before disappearing.
"I don't know what he is," Renjiro finally said, eyes ahead.
As if summoned by the very notion, the Selemor gates finally came into view. The royal city was quiet at first glance, the sun beginning to dip over the horizon. But as they stepped through the massive gate arch, guards met them immediately—ten in total, fully armed, with crests of the royal family emblazoned on their chests.
"You're the squad dispatched to Verdant Hollow?" the lead guard asked sternly. "You're coming with us. The palace demands a full report."
Renjiro nodded calmly. "Understood."
They were escorted through the cobblestone streets of Selemor, the townsfolk watching in curiosity as the Alpha Wolf's corpse was dragged behind them. Whispers followed them like a cloud.
By the time they reached the palace, twilight painted the sky in gold and crimson hues. The royal palace loomed before them—towers of white stone and azure glass, with guards stationed at every gate. The group was taken through a side entrance, through a long hall, and finally into a private briefing room, lit with golden lamps and heavy with silence.
A man in a long, navy-blue coat stood waiting, arms crossed, silver insignia pinned to his chest. His gaze flicked across each of them before settling on the Alpha Wolf's corpse, which had been lowered onto the tiled floor behind them.
"You're the adventurers who accepted the Verdant Hollow quest?" he asked, voice clipped and precise.
"Yes, sir," Renjiro said.
The man nodded. "I am Commander Lysandor of the Crown Investigation Division. I'll be asking you a few questions regarding what occurred. Do not leave anything out."
They sat, and the questioning began.
Renjiro spoke first, detailing how the mission started, how they had taken the B-rank quest expecting a herd of mana-covered beasts disturbing the caravans. He mentioned how the terrain had shifted, and the sudden appearance of the Alpha Wolf.
Daichi followed, explaining how the creature had far surpassed the expected difficulty of a B-rank quest.
"Thing was more like something out of a high-level dungeon," he added. "Its mana pressure alone was overwhelming."
Mayu, her voice a bit quieter, described how they'd been forced into retreat after Kyoichi was injured. She left out the worst parts, but Renjiro didn't blame her.
"And then?" Lysandor pressed. "Sooom..This… Kyoichi was his name? What did he do?"
There was a pause.
Renjiro exchanged a glance with the others. He didn't want to lie—not to the royal court—but the truth was too strange to sound believable.
"He woke up, went to us," Renjiro said slowly, "and… he took the wolf down. Alone."
Akari added, "Easily. He intercepted the Alpha's claw strike mid-air with his hand. Then launched it into a tree. It didn't stand a chance after that."
"You're telling me," Lysandor said, eyebrows raised, "one man killed that?"
"Yes," Daichi answered bluntly.
"Do you know him ?"
Renjiro inhaled. "He said his name was Kyoichi. No last name. He joined us recently. This was supposed to be his first adventure."
"Did he give you any hint of his background? Where he came from?
Renjiro shook his head. "He never talked about himself. Said he'd come along just once, to see how things went."
"And where is he now?"
"Gone," Akari replied. "He disappeared right after the fight. Didn't even wait for questions."
Lysandor rubbed his temples. "So, to summarize: a man of unknown origin appeared, joined your squad for a B-rank quest, Defeated a S rank magic beast , and vanished without a trace."
"That's… one way to put it," Renjiro muttered.
The room grew still for a moment.
Lysandor finally straightened. "We'll need to run a deep scan on that wolf's corpse to determine what enhanced it. And you'll all need to remain in Selemor for the next few days. The royal court may wish to speak with you directly."
"What do you think he was?" Mayu asked, hesitant.
The commander paused before answering. "I don't know. But if that man hadn't stepped in… you'd all be dead."
The group didn't argue.
After they were dismissed, the four of them sat outside the palace gate under the flickering light of a streetlamp, the weight of the day finally crashing down on them.
"Do you think he's dangerous?" Daichi asked quietly.
Renjiro looked up at the sky. "I don't know. Maybe."
Akari leaned against the stone wall, arms folded. "He didn't feel dangerous."
"Doesn't mean he isn't," Mayu said softly.
"Either way," Renjiro sighed, "he's not one of us anymore. We don't even know where to find him."
And with that, silence returned—deep, lingering silence. Somewhere beyond the city, the stars blinked into the darkening sky. Kyoichi was gone. And yet, something told Renjiro… this wasn't the last time they'd see him.