"Wait."
Eina's voice faded into the rain, and for an instant, the entire world seemed to freeze.
The scarred man fought back the instinct to run.
His face was unremarkable, the only striking feature being the grotesque, twisted scar across it.
In Orario, a city full of adventurers, such a look wasn't particularly rare.
If he bolted now, the odds of being tracked down were slim—but doing so would all but confirm his guilt.
And if any adventurers happened to be accompanying the Guild staff nearby, he'd be caught on the spot.
"Do you need any help?"
The scarred man turned around, forcing himself to appear calm and hiding the menace in his eyes.
He needed to confirm whether she was alone before making his move.
"I come here often, but I don't recall seeing you before."
Eina probed, testing the waters.
"Really? I'm not like the others—I usually come early in the morning to buy Potions. That's probably why."
The man caught on to her intent and lied smoothly, his expression unreadable.
"Do you have any clues about who might have done this?"
Eina asked as she subtly stepped back, putting more distance between them.
If he decided to attack, she needed enough space to react.
Of course, the scarred man knew exactly who the culprit was.
He was the one who'd done it.
But an idea flashed through his mind—a convenient scapegoat.
"It has to be the Dian Cecht Familia! They're always causing trouble around here."
He began cursing their name, spitting out accusations about their vicious behavior.
"I see…" Eina murmured, frowning as if deep in thought.
The god Miach and the Dian Cecht Familia had long been rivals, their Familias competing in the Potion trade.
From that angle, it wasn't impossible that the rival familia might resort to violence.
But the Dian Cecht Familia had the Dea Saint—their captain, known throughout Orario for her kindness and compassion.
She would never allow her members to commit such an atrocity.
He was trying to redirect suspicion.
Eina's suspicions only deepened.
She couldn't let this man walk away.
"I heard Naaza-san and her people were deep in debt," the man added. "Seeing this mess, it must've been the creditors coming to collect."
"Hmm... If it was debt collection, wouldn't it make more sense to confiscate all these Potions as collateral instead of smashing them?"
A sharp glint flashed behind Eina's glasses.
She caught the flicker of tension and unease in his eyes.
"Well... I'm not sure," he said quickly, changing the subject. "Anyway, we should focus on finding Naaza-san as soon as possible."
He stepped forward, his boots squelching confidently against the slick, potion-stained floor—as if the feeling underfoot was familiar.
"Miss, are you here alone? If you don't mind, I could help you look for her."
He smiled faintly, ready to strike.
...
Eina forced herself to stay composed.
This question would decide everything.
From his behavior, she could tell—if she said she was alone, he'd bolt immediately.
And against an adventurer, catching him again would be impossible.
"I'm with several high-ranking adventurers," she said evenly. "They're nearby, searching for Naaza-san's trail."
She'd cornered him completely.
And in doing so, cut off her own escape.
"I see. Let's hope she's all right."
The man's tone was casual, but his words carried no sincerity at all.
If he wanted to get away, he had to silence her first—before she could call for those supposed allies.
He'd already made up his mind.
Eina leaned slightly against a shelf, masking her fear with a weary facade.
It'll be fine. That insurance will work. It has to.
She kept her guard up, repeating those words in her mind.
Bell... Naaza... you'll both be all right.
The tension thickened like the air before a storm.
Finally, the scarred man broke the silence.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
He said it lightly—but his body inched forward.
Crack.
Broken glass shattered further beneath his boot.
Eina understood. This would be their final exchange.
The longer he lingered, the greater the danger he faced.
He wouldn't just walk away.
"You can't leave."
Eina's voice carried firm authority, making it unmistakably clear—she was questioning his identity.
The half-elf girl had staked everything on this.
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky.
With the thunder rumbling above, the scarred man finally dropped his façade, revealing the savagery beneath.
Information was everything—for every level an adventurer climbed, their power changed drastically.
He had just reached Level 2. Crushing an ordinary person would be effortless.
All it would take was a single move—covering her mouth and nose until she lost consciousness.
Lightning flashed again as he lunged forward like a wild beast, face twisted with fury.
Eina had no weapon, no means of defense.
The difference in strength was far too great. From the beginning, this had been a wager made over an abyss.
But she didn't back down.
[The insurance] will work.
She reminded herself of that, forcing calm into her trembling hands as Bell's face flashed through her mind. Then she lowered her stance, right hand shifting behind her waist.
The scarred man froze.
Her posture—low, steady, practiced—was unmistakably that of an adventurer.
He narrowed his eyes. Could it be that this woman, like that white-haired boy, had been hiding her true skill all along—just to lure him in?
A cold sweat ran down his neck, replaced by a surge of hatred for Bell.
He grabbed a large vial of Potion from the shelf and smashed it.
Blue liquid spilled across the floor as he gripped a jagged shard of glass, its edge glinting like a blade in his hand.
Eina had provoked him—but she didn't regret it.
She had no real weapon. The stance she'd taken was only an imitation, something she'd picked up from watching the adventurers she once guided.
And the one who had shown her this move… was the very first adventurer she ever mentored.
A cheerful, bright girl.
A girl who had met her end in the Dungeon.
Now, Eina mirrored that same stance—sharing the same fear, the same resolve—as she faced the monster charging at her.
The glass in his hand gleamed like fangs, slashing toward her face without mercy.
At that final moment—perhaps through the girl's blessing—
[The insurance] activated.
Had it come to a direct fight, Eina wouldn't have survived a single strike. But the familiarity of her stance had triggered the man's suspicion.
That moment of hesitation was enough to change everything.
"Gather, breath of the earth—my name is Alf."
The voice rang out from the doorway, clear and commanding, cutting through the downpour like wind sweeping through the shop.
The scarred man's full-force blow was stopped mid-swing by a radiant barrier of light, leaving not the faintest mark.
"Human. Stop your senseless violence if you wish to live."
The voice was calm, but carried a nobility far beyond reach.
When he finally saw her face, the scarred man dropped the weapon in terror and fell to his knees, trembling.
In Orario, information was everything.
And there were some people no one dared to provoke.
The [Nine Hells] were among them.
As fear and despair overtook the man, the elf Riveria stepped into the apothecary, her emerald eyes cold beneath the rain-soaked light.