Ranna crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. Amanda's silhouette disappeared into the trees, devoured by the dusk-drenched forest.
She stood there, squinting into the darkness. Then she straightened with a slow inhale.
"Well," she muttered to herself. "I should get moving too."
Leo hovered by the door, one brow raised. "Something urgent?"
Ranna stretched her arms above her head. Her back popped audibly. "Just some business to take care of." A smirk pulled at the corner of her lips.
It didn't reach her eyes.
"Someone has to make sure a certain fool doesn't bury himself even deeper."
Her gaze darted toward the treeline. Somewhere beyond that dense patch of woods, trouble waited. She sighed and stepped down onto the porch.
"Cris was caught shredding the woods," she said matter-of-factly. "Lady Kurea saw it herself."
A pause.
"Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't freeze him into an ice sculpture right then and there."
Her voice softened as she continued. "Cris—he was all about the adventuring, you know. Ever since he got his skill." She shook her head, wistful amusement crossing her face. "He really thought he was going to make something of himself. Leave the farm behind, join a guild, make a name for himself."
Leo didn't speak. Watching Ranna's expression cloud.
"But then," she exhaled sharply, her gaze floating toward the distant woods. "Then he learned the truth. His skill wasn't meant for battle. And to make things worse..."
She clicked her tongue.
"Those stupid fools I hired to guard the farm. They—" Another shake of her head. "They spent more time making fun of the kid than doing their jobs. Called him useless. A burden."
Leo's jaw tightened.
He'd never given much thought to Cris. Never wondered why the guy seemed so bitter.
"And just like that," Ranna scoffed, "his dream was gone. When a different path was presented to him, he dug in his heels. Refused to listen to reason."
Her look darted to Leo then.
Incisive.
Inscrutable.
"I tried speaking to him, you know."
Leo met her stare, silent.
"He wouldn't listen."
"He was determined to prove them wrong, so he used his skill on me."
Leo blinked. "On you?"
A humorless laugh escaped her. "Didn't work, obviously. Poor kid was devastated."
Her fingers tapped against her arm as she stared at the door frame. "Skills like his... ones that rely on controlling another? They don't just work off raw mana. They depend on level and proficiency."
"The stronger the target, the harder it is to control them. Even if he had ridiculous amounts of mana, it wouldn't have made a difference against someone like me."
Silence descended between them.
Thick.
Uncomfortable.
"When he looked into it more," Ranna continued, pity creeping into her tone, "he learned that most adventurers with similar skills didn't end up on the frontlines."
Her shoulders sagged.
"They get hired as lifters at big parties. Support roles. Hauling supplies. Nothing like the grand adventure he'd dreamed of."
Leo exhaled slowly. "That explains a lot."
"Yeah, well." Ranna shook out her shoulders and glanced at him again. "I understand you two aren't on good terms, but don't take his words to heart, okay?"
Leo hesitated.
Nodded.
"I won't."
A genuine smirk danced across her lips. "Good."
She turned and walked down the steps. Halfway down, she stopped.
"Leo."
He looked up. "Yeah?"
She didn't turn around immediately. Her arms crossed again, but her posture felt heavier now. As though she were measuring each word before releasing it.
Finally—
"Now that the Orc Dominion has fallen," she turned her head slightly, allowing her shadowed face to come into view. "You need to go to the capital."
Leo blinked. "The capital?"
"At least," Ranna said, her voice lowered, "that's what Samuel and Claire would say."
Leo stiffened.
Those names.
He hadn't heard them in ages.
"They'd want her to go back." Ranna's voice grew distant. "She's done her time here."
Leo didn't need to ask who she meant.
Amanda.
The understanding hit him like an anchor to the chest. Heavy. Unexpected. It knocked the breath from his lungs.
Ranna looked up at the sky, her expression unreadable. Then she waved lazily over her shoulder and walked away without another word.
"See you around, Leo."
Gone.
Leo stood in the doorway, watching her disappear into the night. The air was still now. No howling winds. No crashing trees.
Just silence.
He let out a slow breath and shut the door behind him.
Amanda sprinted through the forest, her feet barely touching the ground. The trees blurred past her in dark streaks.
Fast.
Desperate.
Within seconds, she was racing through thick foliage. Branches whipped at her face, but she didn't slow. Couldn't slow.
As she neared her destination, distant murmurs reached her ears. Farm members who'd pursued the explosion. Their words passed through her like the wind. She ran past them, laser-focused on the area ahead.
The ominous aura, the one she'd feared for years was gone.
Vanished.
The cave mouth remained intact, but the chamber where the Orc Lord had resided was burst open. Rubble scattered across the forest floor like broken teeth.
But the sight of that cave entrance flooded her mind with memories. The place that had tormented her for so long.
Amanda shut her eyes.
When the forest fell silent, she was no longer at the site where the Orc Dominion's torment had ended. She was back in the past, in a world where Claire and Samuel still lived.
They were laughing. Samuel's booming voice echoed through the tavern as Claire rolled her eyes at another one of his terrible jokes.
Gone.
All gone.
Amanda stared at the remnants of the Lord's chamber. Her hands trembled as she pressed them together.
"It's over," she whispered, struggling to catch her breath. "Finally... it's over."
The words came out broken. Shattered. Like everything else in her life had been.
The burden that had weighed on her lifted, but in its place came a vacuum. A gap that not even victory could fill. She wanted to tell Claire and Samuel that their son had grown strong. That Leo had become everything they'd hoped.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
I wish I could meet whoever slew the Orc Lord. Thank them myself.
"You saved a bunch of gold coins, mind you."
Amanda jolted. An adventurer approached, his tone offhanded and casual. "Some unknown adventurer fulfilled your extermination request."
She stared at him.
Shocked.
Speechless.
Extermination quests cost anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 gold coins. At least ten parties would need to participate.
Years of begging. Years of humiliation.
Amanda had been ruined twice. First, by trashy adventurers who tried taking advantage of her desperation. But she'd grown stronger. Strong enough to defend herself, if not to defeat the Orc Lord.
She'd visited the guild center repeatedly. Seeking help. Seeking anyone who would listen.
No one did.
Still, Amanda never gave up.
With each passing year, her grief transformed into cold purpose. Standing at the mouth of the Orc Dominion, she'd sworn to see it burn. She was stronger now—not just in magic, but in will.
She had fought for this moment.
And even though the world had forgotten her friends, she never had.
Never would.
Soldiers rushed toward her, but a commanding presence made them stop.
"Enough of this disgraceful behavior, you scoundrels!" Kurea's voice rang out above the murmurs. "Have you no shred of honor?"
The soldiers shifted uncomfortably. They tossed glances at each other before drifting away.
Humiliated.
Chastened.
Kurea's expression softened as she looked at Amanda. Her tone turned kinder. "Pay them no mind, child. They are but fools."
She exhaled, then continued. "Tell me, have you ever wondered why no experienced adventurer attempted to take down the Orc Dominion when the threat became apparent?"
Amanda paused.
Shook her head.
"The answer lies within their systems," Kurea said. "System quests are handed directly to system users. Their timers compel them to move quickly."
"Most accept without question, for the rewards range from gold to artifacts of great power."
A sharp laugh. "And of course, there are fools who chase only what fills their pockets. If a quest provides no benefit, they look away without a second thought."
Then, unexpectedly, Kurea sighed. Her voice went soft.
"Forgive me, dear one. Even I could do nothing against the Orc Dominion. A mere level 60 boss is one thing, but a Dominion Lord..." She shook her head. "That is a force beyond me."
Amanda inhaled sharply.
Lady Kurea... apologizing? To me?
Embarrassment washed over her in waves. She bowed her head, feeling her face blaze. It wasn't just that Kurea was a system user—she was leagues ahead in strength, status, knowledge. And yet here she was, apologizing as if she'd failed Amanda personally.
"No!" Amanda said quickly, waving her hands in flustered denial. "It's really alright, Lady Kurea. Please don't apologize! You're under no obligation to fight my battles. It was my burden to bear, not yours."
Kurea laughed, charmed by the response. "Oh-ho, but sweetie, don't you see? Even if one isn't obligated, some burdens deserve to be shared. You fought valiantly, but the world looked away. That's a cruelty I can't abide."
Amanda bit her lip.
Hard.
Here she was, someone who'd endured for years without visible results. And Lady Kurea, a woman of prominence and power, was acknowledging her efforts. It was too much.
"T-thank you," she finally managed, lowering her head. Her face still burned with embarrassment.
Kurea tapped her staff against the ground and smirked. "There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"
Amanda nodded slightly.
Kurea appraised her for a moment before continuing, intrigue coloring her voice. "If you seek the adventurer responsible for this feat, I fear you'll find no trace of them here."
She glanced toward the devastation with a knowing look.
"Yet I too am curious. To wield such power..." Her eyes narrowed. "If this were truly the work of another system user, then they are unlike any I have encountered before."