The next morning, I rose early. With my body rested and my equipment gathered, I felt that the time had come for me to draw this quest to a close. What had been a dangerous but straightforward mission had quickly evolved into a war over an entire territory, one that I had even participated in. For better or worse, I had experienced many new things, some horrific, some... good, I guess.

Careful not to wake the house’s other occupants, I stealthily descended the stairs and reached the ground floor.

Surprisingly, the dry man was already there, flipping through the pages of a small book.

“Thought you could sneak out without any of us to see you off?” he said, not unkindly. Closing his book with one hand, he opened and stepped through the front door while gesturing for me to follow.

The cold morning-air woke me up more thoroughly and I could see my breath. I pulled a torn black robe from my pouch and hung it around my neck to keep me warm, before joining the dry man at the edge of his vegetable garden. We spent a moment in silence, inspecting his produce, before he spoke up.

“You know, child... You have done something for me and Maria that can’t be rewarded. I already explained this before, but I must admit I never took you seriously. Furthermore, I find your desire to stay and help once the war broke out extremely foolish and selfish. Don’t you have people back home? What would they have thought?” he spoke softly.

Unable to come up with a worthy reply, I stayed silent and averted my eyes.

“That being said... your recklessness disguised as bravery meant more to me, as a father, than a thousand treasures ever could. That’s why I want to remind you that you can call upon me and mine, should you ever have need of us.”

My eyes went wide. A promise like that was not something you could take back. Promises like those were what shaped the geopolitical situation of the continent. Not that I intended to use it that way, though.

“This isn’t a promise that I make as the dry man, either. This is the promise I make as a father.” He said seriously.

I nodded.

“I’ll remember.” I said. A small smile appeared on his face.

“Don’t you go ordering me around the continent, now...” he warned jokingly. “Regardless, isn’t it about time for you to leave now? This conversation had run its course.”

I pulled out my talisman and started channelling some dark mana into it, until the coalesced ball of mana expanded and formed Revan. He reared back to announce his arrival with a roar, but the dry man swatted the air, making Revan look like he’d just been slapped by an invisible giant.

“Don’t wake my daughter with your grandstanding.” He said, before turning to me. “May Helios smile upon you, boy. Don’t die out there before I can fulfill the promise I made to you.”

“I won’t!” I replied, smiling, before jumping onto Revan’s back. He still looked properly chastised, like a child that had just been told off. If he had had lips, Revan would be pouting.

With a final wave, I commanded Revan to set off for the border. Roa was beckoning.

-Scene transition-

About a week of casual travel later, I arrived at the border crossing. The guards must have seen me coming from a distance, because the gate had already been opened by the time I got there. Did they remember Revan or something?

Once inside of the castle that protected the walls, I couldn’t take two steps before a small man in heavy steel armor ran up to me.

“I SEE YOU HAVE RETURNED! FOLLOW ME TO MY OFFICE!” the little man shouted, almost making me fall off of Revan in surprise. I had forgotten about the mustached captain’s eccentricity. Last time, he had let me through the gates without issue, though he had made a show of our political rivalry.

Still, his heart was in the right place. Furthermore, I had him estimated as a tier 5, which were much more plentiful in Roa than in the between lands. There were several dozen in the entire country, at least.

Once we reached his office, he pointed at a cosy-looking couch.

“Sit.” He said. I assented.

“So...” I began.

“Shush!” he replied, with a single finger placed against his lips. He wanted me to be quiet? Why?

A few minutes and a few failed attempts at initiating a conversation later, an attendant stepped in unannounced and brought us both some tea, before walking out again.

Once he had left the room, the captain slumped over and let out a long sigh.

“Helios, I hate it when they put me under watch...” he complained.

So that was what this was about. He was an aristocrat, wasn’t he? I guessed he was none too fond of his faction’s pawns sneaking about. Wisely, I stayed silent.

“If I hadn’t let you through about a month ago, then maybe those old sod wouldn’t be counting every cookie I eat right now...” he said.

“Don’t place the blame on me!” I replied, “You were the one that chose to join those guys!”

Instead of disagreeing, the captain released a second, comically long sigh.

“You’re right, of course. Though it wasn’t much of a choice. In this country, you’re born into whatever faction you end up in, for the most part. My compatriots aren’t all bad, either... They’re just sticklers for the intrigue and plotting that comes with the whole political scene.”

He explained. I was shocked to find out that the rotund man could actually have such complex thoughts and considerations, but if the captain noticed my surprise, he didn’t show it.

Suddenly, our little heart-to-heart was broken. The mustached stood up with renewed vigor and courage.

“NOW THEN, TO BUSINESS! WE MUST ENGAGE IN DEADLY BATTLE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR HONOR! WE WILL TEST OUR STRENGTH IN THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS AND PAINFUL WAR OF ALL!” he spoke loudly, as if he was about to put his life on the line.

“THE WAR ALSO KNOWN AS... paperwork.” He finished lamely, causing me to stifle a chuckle.

I didn’t take his ridiculous monologue seriously at first, until he made good on his threat and produced a stack of paperwork that nearly doubled the height of his desk.

With a groan, I prepared myself mentally for several hours of torture.

-Scene transition-

Once we had finally finished the necessary administration, which had been laughably boring, by the way, I had hightailed it out of there atop Revan. The guards had taken to playing fetch with my dog-like companion, showing surprisingly little fear at being faced with a giant undead drake. Then again, most guards there were probably veterans hoping to get a cushy retirement job. They could probably wrestle Revan to the ground, let alone throw a stick around.

Revan had apparently not hesitated and indulged in the attention while I was indisposed by the paperwork, which I found much less surprising still.

Yet, when the time had come to depart, neither of us had hesitated. I didn’t know about Revan, but I missed my family, my home. Hells, I even missed Reito sometimes.

Speaking of Reito, that was our first destination. I wanted to hand in the chalice without further ado, since the spatial enchantment wouldn’t last. Furthermore, I wanted my reward. A tier 5 dark-aligned piece of equipment, apparently. Not bad for what had essentially turned out to be a single battle.

Soon enough, the tall spires of Reito’s cathedral and wizard’s towers appeared on the horizon. Something about Reito’s silhouette made it unmistakable, even when compared to other major cities.

Once at the gates, I didn’t bother dismounting Revan. He would still fit through the wider streets, and after my recent popularity growth, I didn’t feel like bothering with the whole anonymity part anymore. There were special roads for mounted classers anyway, so I could avoid the foot traffic.

Using this method, it only took a few minutes to reach the guild’s stables. Some people had stared at me, sure, but ultimately they had left me alone. So far, this had been my most enjoyable commute yet.

Once at the stables, I decided to keep Revan there, rather than unsummon him. He’d been stuck in whatever limbo he called home far too much lately, so I hoped to let him enjoy the real world a little more, which he seemed to appreciate. The stable hands appreciated Revan’s presence much less, however, so I gave them a handsome tip for their services, which turned their countenances from grim acceptance to grim determination. Baby steps, and all.

It didn’t take long to secure a meeting with Andross, my guild leader. The jovial, bearded man was as welcoming as always, and greeted me with a warm smile.

“Ah! Arthur! Just the man I wanted to see! How did your quest go?”

“Well enough.” I replied gruffly, none too pleased by this shady quest that I had been sent on.

“So you have the artifact?” he continued.

“I do. Before I give it to you, however, I want to make one thing clear.” I said angrily.

Suddenly serious, Andross gestured for me to go on.

“I am never taking another quest assigned to me personally. The church knew that the dry man would seek me out. They knew that I would get involved in the escalating shitstorm over there and they knew I didn’t have a high chance of survival. For all I know, you knew as well.” I accused.

His eyes had widened in shock halfway through my explanation, and he had lifted his hands in surrender.

“Listen, Arthur. Whatever happened over there, I had NO idea that I would. I had just as much information as you did, unfortunately. As for your request, I will deny any quest that asks for you specifically from now on. I’m sorry, Arthur. As your guild leader, I wasn’t cautious enough. That being said, what did happen? Give me the entire story.”

Over the next half-hour, I did exactly that. I told him about Apart village, about the chalice, about the two territories, and even about Maria. Despite everything that had happened, I still trusted him, so I told him about the war and the dry man’s promise too.

By the end of my story, Andross was pensive.

After a moment of silence, he finally shared his thoughts.

“I never would have imagined that the situation over there was so... structured. Personally, I always believed that the between lands would be chaotic, with no united forces to keep order. I expected you to stay under the radar while traveling. Never once did I think there would be a tier 6 ruler, let alone three. As for that promise... I hope you’ll use it carefully. Such a favor could upset the balance that the continent’s forces have carefully maintained, bringing death to millions...” he warned, making the weight of that promise very clear to me.

Andross hummed in thought.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have good news for you, considering the situation.” He suddenly shared.

“What?” I asked, surprised.

“The church asked you to hand over the chalice to their local bishop. He’s been staying in Reito since news of your arrival in Roa reached us. Furthermore, he intends to reward you personally...” Andross explained.

“The man that sent me into a death trap, the man whose adopted daughter I put into hospital... wants to meet me personally?”

“Yes.” he nodded gravely.

“Alone?”

“Yes...”

“Shit.”