The closer they got to the gates, the louder the world became.
Leo leaned forward, arms braced on his knees, eyes scanning the moving crowd. He didn't speak. Neither did Amanda.
The cart slowed, wheels clicking louder against the worn stone as the towering gates of the capital loomed ahead. Wide enough to let three carts pass at once. Tall enough that Leo had to crane his neck back to see where they ended.
People moved like water, flowing in and out.
Soldiers lined the entrance. Watching. Some asked for papers. Others lifted cloth tarps off carts or nodded travelers through with tired eyes. Their armor bore the city's crest.
Their cart was next.
A guard approached, hand resting near his sheathed sword.
"State your name and business," he said.
The merchant gave a polite nod. "Just merchants from Arven. They're with Lady Ranna."
That changed things.
The guard's expression shifted. He stepped back, gesturing to a second soldier, who waved them through with a tight nod.
"Proceed."
Leo raised an eyebrow. Just like that?
The guards looked at Amanda for a beat too long.
Curious.
Familiar.
Leo remembered something Ranna had said. She used to frequent the guild center, always asking for help.
It clicked.
Leo sat back again, letting the cart carry them forward. "Guess you've got a reputation here," he said.
She folded her arms and muttered, "Not one I liked."
Inside the walls, the air changed again.
No more wild earth or pine sap. Now it smelled like baked bread and smoke from forge fires. The city pulsed around them. Streets weaving like veins, buildings leaning toward each other like gossiping neighbors.
Voices layered over one another. Traders shouting prices, guards calling out orders, horses snorting under strain. Children weaving through the crowd with sticky fingers and half-eaten fruit. A lute, plucked somewhere behind a stall, tried to keep rhythm with the chaos but failed.
Shops lined every side. Tailors. Smithies. Potion stalls with glass bottles that caught the light like candy.
Leo couldn't stop looking.
Every corner they turned held something new. A man with mechanical arms hawking self-turning skewers. A goblin selling brightly dyed cloaks from the back of a goat. A half-giant thundered past with crates of apples stacked higher than his head.
And above all of it—
The walls. Enormous. Towering over the city like they were built to keep the sky out.
Leo squinted, doing quick math in his head.
"Whoa, that must be over 100 feet!" he guessed out loud.
Amanda followed his gaze, then pointed toward one of the stone towers jutting up at regular intervals along the wall.
She nodded.
"Those are for long-range units," she said. "Wizards. Hunters. People who can cause damage from a distance."
But even that spectacle was dwarfed by something else. Rising above the sea of clustered rooftops, distinct from the uniform grey stone of the outer walls, was a colossus of white marble and dark steel.
A fortress, a self-contained kingdom whose spires clawed at the sky. Its highest battlements seemed to shimmer with a faint, magical energy that made the air around them ripple, even from their distance.
Leo's head tilted back, his mouth slightly agape. "And what in the world is that place? A second castle for the king?"
Amanda followed his gaze, but her expression was unreadable, almost dismissive. "The Astral Arena," she said, her tone flat. "A place for system users to wrestle and fools to make a name for themselves. It's not for us."
Her words were final, pulling his attention away from the shimmering fortress and back to the street level. The cart rolled on, the magnificent structure slowly vanishing behind a block of tall tenements.
Leo's stomach growled loud enough to earn a glance from Amanda.
He gave her a sheepish grin. "Didn't realize how hungry I was."
She smirked, the tension from a moment before gone. "It's the air here. Tricks your senses."
"Welcome to the capital."
Then a shadow loomed.
Ahead stood a large building wider than any of the shops, with tall wooden doors and flags fluttering above it, each bearing a different emblem. People poured in and out. Some armored, some robed, some carrying weapons too large for their frames.
Cat-like people with narrow pupils and twitching tails. Animal-eared travelers wrapped in loose, woven fabrics. A pair of Dragonoids. Dwarves stomped like the ground owed them something.
It was a mosaic of motion. Of muscle and magic and mystery.
The merchant gently pulled the reins and brought the cart to a stop in front of the building.
He looked over his shoulder, smiling small but honestly.
"Good luck with your registration."
Leo blinked, dragged back from the crowd. He dug into his pouch and pulled out a single gold coin.
"Thanks for the ride," he said, offering it over.
The merchant accepted it with a nod. "Safe travels. And good luck."
Leo hopped down then reached out for Amanda.
The cart that had carried Cris was nowhere in sight.
Leo turned in a slow circle, scanning the street, the crowds, the buildings, but no sign of the wild-haired teenager.
He scratched the back of his head.
"Guess we'll catch up later," he muttered.
Amanda was already walking toward the guild doors.
He followed.
The inside of the Adventurer's Guild was wide, bright, and alive. A faint hum of voices filled the air: chatter, clinking gear, occasional laughter. Wooden beams crossed the ceiling overhead, and the smell of metal oil, parchment, and something vaguely spicy hung in the air.
Amanda paused inside the entrance.
Her fingers twitched by her side.
She hadn't stepped foot in here in years, but the place hadn't changed. Not the way the floor always looked just slightly stained, no matter how often it was cleaned. Not the bulletin board overloaded with quest slips and old notices. Not even the light tilt in the left-hand chandelier that everyone ignored.
This had been her warzone once. And her home.
Now, she was walking back into it—older, maybe, but still standing.
Beside her, Leo turned in a slow arc.
His eyes were wide.
Adventurers of all shapes, sizes, and species filled the guild hall. Some in cheap, dented armor, nervously gripping wooden staves. Others moved with ease, well-worn cloaks brushing the floor, weapons strapped across their backs. Their voices carried confidence. Some were laughing. Some arguing. Some just sipping drinks like they'd already seen the worst the world could throw at them and come out bored.
Leo blinked. "Damn," he muttered. "This is a lot."
A voice called out over the crowd. "Amanda!"
Leo turned as Amanda looked ahead.
A woman waved from behind the desk. She had long black hair tied in a neat ponytail and wore a dark blue blouse with puffed sleeves.
Amanda's face broke into a grin.
She quickened her pace, and Leo followed, dodging a passing half-orc carrying a keg.
At the counter, Amanda leaned in for a quick embrace. The woman smiled warmly before her eyes drifted to Leo.
"Oh," she said, straightening. "So this is him?"
Her eyes squinted, Is Samuel's hair black?
Amanda turned and yanked Leo forward by the wrist. "Leo, this is Susan. She's one of the guild staff here, and secretary to the guild master."
Susan's face softened as she held out her hand.
"Amanda tells me you're a good man, Leo."
Leo managed a nod. "I, uh… try to be."
Susan chuckled. "She's special to us, you know. We've watched her grow. Seen her at her best… and her worst." Her eyes lingered on Amanda with something like affection and a little worry. "Just make sure she's taken care of."
Leo felt a knot form in his chest.
Susan's eyes twinkled.
"And I can definitely see you two creating adorable children."
Amanda flailed.
Her hands shot up like she was under attack. "Susan! Stop!" Her voice cracked halfway through as her face flushed from the neck up.
Leo almost swallowed his own tongue.
His ears were burning, and he stared hard at a point past Susan's shoulder.
Susan laughed, but her gaze softened again as she reached out and took Amanda's hand.
But then he nodded.
Susan seemed satisfied with that.
Something shifted.
Her smile faltered. "Ah. That's right. Lady Kurea sent word… said the Orc Dominion was destroyed." She glanced between the two of them. "But the reports didn't say who did it."
Amanda didn't blink.
She just nodded. "I know who did."
Susan's hand clenched a little tighter around her arm.
"You do?" Her voice dropped, cautious.
Amanda looked sideways at Leo. "Yeah."
Susan's brows drew together. Her mouth opened, as if expecting the worst.
And then Amanda tilted her head toward Leo.
"It was him."
Time paused.
A breeze seemed to come from nowhere, ruffling the edge of Susan's dress.
Her eyes widened.
There was a beat of silence.
And then—
"WHAT?!"