The next morning, the inn was quiet again.
Hans had just sent Lin off to buy groceries—after triple-checking her list and reminding her not to talk to any strangers.
Now, he was left alone with the mess from the day before.
He grunted as he bent down to sweep up splintered wood and broken glass. His bad leg protested, as always.
"Damn hooligans," he muttered. "Every time someone mysterious walks through that door…"
Outside, he glanced through the window toward the backyard.
He'd forced the quiet boy to work the small garden patch behind the inn. Hans couldn't tend it anymore, not with his leg, and the poor thing hadn't sprouted so much as a weed in months.
"Don't just stand around brooding," he'd said. "Go do some work."
He hadn't argued. He just nodded and walked out with his shovel.
No questions. No expression.
Hours passed before Hans decided to check in on the youngster.
He limped out the back door, rubbing his sore knee—then froze on the steps.
"…What the hell is this…?"
The garden was completely transformed.
Every plant towered like it had been fed steroids and divine blessing at the same time. Tomato vines as thick as his arm tangled over the fence. Corn stalks burst upward, scraping the edge of the roof. Pumpkins sat like boulders—massive, unmoving, but absurdly huge.
Hans squinted.
"…Did the cabbages get bigger since breakfast?"
He stepped into the dirt cautiously.
"Great," Hans muttered. "We're gonna need a crane just to harvest the potatoes."
Then he noticed a slip of paper tucked onto the porch railing.
He limped over and unfolded it.
The handwriting was sloppy, uneven.
Don't worry. They shrink back to normal eventually.
Hans stared at the note. Closed his eyes. Sighed deeply.
"Crazy bastard,"
He crumpled the note, shaking his head as he looked out at the colossal vegetables swallowing his entire yard.
***
Lin had just finished buying groceries from the main town in District 1, which was the most nearby. The town was just outside the massive wall protecting the border and it was a heavily guarded frontier. Her father had sent her to run the errand, but the sight of the Heavenly Knights patrolling the streets unsettled her. They were stationed here to keep out those attempting to cross the border without the proper papers. Their shining armor and stern faces always seemed to make the air heavier.
Lin quickened her pace, clutching her bag of groceries tightly. Her father had warned her to be cautious. The knights didn't take kindly to Level 2 citizens, especially those like her family, who barely scraped by.
Suddenly, she bumped into something solid. The impact knocked her back, sending her groceries sprawling across the cobblestone street.
"Watch where you're going, you little brat!" a gruff voice growled.
Lin looked up, her heart sinking as she recognized the sneering faces of Erber's lackeys, two knights notorious for their cruelty. It was Aldot and Babel.
"I—I'm sorry," Lin stammered, scrambling to her feet and bowing deeply.
Aldot sneered, brushing his armor exaggeratedly. "Great. Now you've gone and dirtied my shining uniform. These filthy Level 2 rats have no manners."
"Yeah," the Babel chimed in. "Why did they have to transfer us to this shithole of a town, now we have to deal with this trash."
As they laughed, Aldot reached down and grabbed a handful of her groceries—a loaf of bread and an apple.
"Hey! That's mine!" Lin protested, her voice breaking.
"Oh, really?" the Aldot said mockingly. "Then go report it to the authorities." They laughed harder, the sound ringing in her ears as frustration welled up inside her. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to hold back her anger.
Suddenly, Babel grabbed her by the arm and yanked her upright.
"Now, why don't you tell us where you live?" he sneered. "Your parents can pay for the crime of bothering the Heavenly Knights."Aldot chimed in.
Panic flooded Lin's mind. She couldn't let them find her home. Especially not when "he" was there.
"I—I can't—" she stammered.
CRASH!
Her words were cut off by a sudden, deafening crash from a nearby building. The roof caved in, sending debris flying. Smoke and dust filled the air, and everyone turned toward the commotion.
"What the hell was that?!" one of the knights shouted, his voice tinged with fear.
From the rubble, a figure emerged, dusting off his shoulders as if he'd merely tripped. He was tall, with wild white hair that glinted like silver in the sunlight. His eyes scanned the scene lazily, and he cracked his neck as if waking from a nap.
"Ow. That hurt," the figure muttered nonchalantly.
The townsfolk, frozen in shock, watched as he leapt effortlessly to the ground, landing without a single scratch.
"H-hey! You're under arrest!" Aldot barked, his voice shaking as he pointed his sword at the newcomer.
The white-haired man didn't even spare him a glance. He began walking away, hands in his pockets.
Lin seized the moment, biting the hand of the knight holding her. Babel yelped in pain and slammed her to the ground, making her cry out.
"Stupid brat!" he roared.
The sound of Lin's pained grunt made the white-haired figure stop mid-step. Slowly, he turned his head, his expression cold.
"Hey, stop!" the Aldot shouted, grabbing the man's arm.
In a blur of motion, the knight's arm was severed. He collapsed, screaming in agony, as blood stained the cobblestones. Babel barely had time to react before a punch shattered his helmet, sending him flying into a wall with a sickening crunch.
Lin stared, wide-eyed, as the man turned to leave, stepping over the fallen knights like they were nothing more than debris.
Suddenly, more knights swarmed the scene, surrounding Knife, who remained unfazed, his expression calm. The formation of knights shifted, creating an opening in their ranks. From this gap emerged a man whose heavy, deliberate steps reverberated through the tense air as he approached Knife.
Knife studied the figure, his sharp eyes narrowing with interest. "Here comes a strange one," he murmured, a sly smile playing on his lips.
Lin, still sprawled on the ground beside him, turned her gaze toward the approaching man. Her breath caught, her eyes widening in disbelief. His appearance was nothing short of extraordinary
A deep frown seemed etched permanently on his face, radiating both anger and unyielding seriousness. His hair was cropped into a severe grey buzzcut, but it wasn't his expression or haircut that stunned her. It was the sword—a massive blade—that pierced straight through his head, the hilt between his eyes, as the blade pierced straight through the back of his skull. As a red feather, attached to his hip, fluttered in the wind.