The words had barely left Leo's mouth when Ranna's head snapped toward him. Her gaze drilled into his.
"You—" she started, voice breathless. "What did you just say?"
Leo hardly had time to blink. Ranna seized Cris by the collar and dragged him inside, shoving the door shut behind them with a resounding thud. The wooden frame groaned under the impact. Dust shook loose from the rafters, dancing in the afternoon light.
Her grip on Cris slackened as she turned toward Leo. The air between them crackled with tension.
Then.
Grab.
Ranna's fist twisted into Leo's shirt, yanking him forward. His breath hitched as the room tilted slightly, his balance completely at her mercy. The fabric bunched uncomfortably against his chest.
Her face filled his vision now. Too close. Eyes burning with something he couldn't place. Was it shock? Suspicion? Or something deeper that she didn't want him to see?
Fear?
"What the hell did you just say?" she demanded. Her voice barely above a whisper, but somehow that made it worse. The quiet fury in her tone sent a chill down his spine.
Leo coughed, adjusting to the sudden lack of personal space. The scent of leather and steel clung to her. "Ranna—what's wrong with you?"
A sharp tsk escaped her lips. Just as quickly as she'd grabbed him, she shoved him away with enough force to send him stumbling.
Hard.
Leo landed with enough impact that it nearly tipped over completely. His hands caught the table at the last second, fingers curling against the worn wood. Splinters pressed into his palms, a sharp reminder of how real this moment was.
From the floor, Cris let out a harsh exhale. He went down unceremoniously on his backside, one leg twisted awkwardly beneath him. His face flushed with embarrassment and something else. Understanding, maybe.
"You idiot," Cris muttered, shaking his head as he struggled to untangle himself. "You're trying to get yourself killed."
He stopped mid-movement. His breath caught in his throat, just for a second, as if the weight of his own words had just hit him.
Leo tilted his head, genuinely confused by the reaction.
Silence stretched between them. Cris didn't say anything else. His jaw worked like he wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he looked away, focusing on straightening his clothes with unnecessary attention.
Meanwhile, Amanda had moved from her position by the window. She settled into the chair across from Leo.
The warm afternoon light caught her face through the glass, golden rays highlighting the concern etched in her features. Something softened in her expression as she exhaled.
"I'm happy to hear that," Amanda said finally. Her voice came out quiet but firm. "If it's truly what you want."
She held his gaze for a long moment, searching for something in his eyes. A small, wistful smile touched her lips.
"But, Leo—be careful about joking around, especially regarding quests." Her voice gentled, though warning still threaded through it. "The situation we're in… It's not one where you can just throw words like that around."
Leo opened his mouth to respond, to explain that he wasn't joking at all, but Ranna cut in before he could speak.
"My bad."
The words hung in the air. Ranna ran a hand through her dark hair, pushing it back with frustrated fingers. Strands immediately fell forward again, framing her face.
"That was rude of me."
Leo raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. In all the years he'd known Ranna, through all their conflicts and disagreements, she had never once apologized. Not for anything.
First time.
Her fingers drummed against her leg in an anxious rhythm before she crossed her arms defensively. The leather of her vest creaked slightly with the movement, a sound that filled the quiet room. When she spoke again, her voice had lost its sharp edge, replaced by something more measured and careful.
"Amanda's request is well-known." She paused, choosing her words with obvious care. "Very well-known. Especially in the capital."
Amanda's posture straightened at the mention of the capital. Her hands folded in her lap. Leo noticed the way her shoulders tensed, as if bracing for a blow.
"A lot of powerful people have tried to complete it. System users with incredible abilities. Mercenary groups backed by noble gold. Even entire guilds." Ranna's voice darkened. "Most of them died trying."
Cris flinched visibly at that, his face paling. He looked away from everyone, suddenly finding the floorboards fascinating. His foot tapped nervously against the wood, a rapid staccato that betrayed his anxiety.
"The rest?" Ranna scoffed. "They got too preoccupied with the ongoing System Quest event to bother finishing the job. Found easier glory elsewhere."
She turned her full attention back to Leo. Her gaze was sharper than any blade she'd ever carried.
"Telling us that you killed the Orc Lord…"
She paused.
The room seemed to hold its breath with her.
"And that you cleared the Orc Dominion…"
Leo watched realization creep across her features. Her stance changed, the confident warrior posture melting into something uncertain.
Completely still.
"…is like telling the world that you're a system user," she finished in a whisper that somehow carried more weight than a shout.
The air in the room thickened. Amanda inhaled sharply. Cris stopped fidgeting entirely, frozen mid-motion with his hand halfway to his hair.
And Leo?
Leo grinned.
It wasn't nervous or apologetic. It was the grin of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
Ranna stared at that grin for one heartbeat, then two. Something unreadable flashed across her eyes. Then she tore her gaze away and shook her head slowly.
"This isn't something we can talk about here," she muttered, her voice taking on a clipped urgency.
"Come with me."
Leo opened his mouth, probably to say something that would only make things worse, but Ranna had already turned away. Her boots thudded against the old farmhouse floor with purpose.
"No questions. Just move."
Cris fell in behind her with surprising obedience, though his movements remained stiff. Leo caught the way he threw one last glance toward Amanda. Confusion was written across his face.
Amanda hesitated by her chair. The wind brushed through the open doorway, fluttering the edge of the faded curtain.
Their eyes met across the room. Hers held a thousand things he couldn't name. Regret. Curiosity. Fear. And something else that might have been hope.
He nodded to her.
Just once.
A promise and an acknowledgment rolled into one small gesture.
Amanda stepped forward then. Her movements kept that grace she'd always had, even in uncertainty.
They followed Ranna out into the dying light of day.
Outside, the world had transformed. The sun had dipped low enough to paint everything gold and orange. Workers' shadows stretched long across the earth, reaching toward the horizon.
The mood had shifted from just hours before. The cheerful harvest atmosphere had vanished.
The people in the fields had noticed their procession. Strong backs straightened one by one. Weathered faces turned their way. Their eyes tracked the group's movement with curiosity and concern.
Some watched openly, making no attempt to hide their interest. Others glanced up quickly before looking away. But there were those who never looked up at all, keeping their hands moving through the familiar motions of work even as their shoulders tensed with awareness.
Not rudeness.
Fear.
The usual afternoon chatter had died completely. No complaints about aching backs echoed across the rows. No jokes about what might be for dinner. No discussions about tomorrow's tasks. Even the children who usually ran laughing between the planted rows had vanished.
The walk to the office felt longer than it should have. Each step seemed to echo despite the soft earth beneath their feet.
Leo could taste anxiety in the air.
When they reached the office door, Ranna knocked out of habit. Three sharp raps against the weathered wood. Without waiting, she pushed it open. The hinges groaned in protest.
Cris slipped inside first. He positioned himself against the far wall, trying to look casual. Leo noticed where his hands rested—loose at his sides but close to his hip.
Ranna went directly to her desk. She didn't bother sitting. Instead, she yanked open a drawer. Her hands dove into its contents, rummaging with impatient shoves. Items clattered against each other.
Papers shifted with a whisper. Glass vials clinked against each other. A sealed black envelope emerged briefly. Ranna examined it for half a second before tossing it aside. It landed on the desk with a soft slap, wax seal unbroken.
Amanda remained by the door, unmoving. Her expression had gone distant. She'd retreated into herself. The moment Leo had spoken those words back in the farmhouse, something had shifted in her understanding.
And Leo simply watched it all unfold. Calm on the surface. But beneath, something moved with purpose.
Finally.
Stop.
Ranna's fingers wrapped around something deep in the drawer. She drew it out with care, handling it like something dangerous.
A bronze key emerged.
Fully drawn, it rained motes of light.