Chapter 321 (Patreon)

“It’s been a while, Granny,” Kana greeted as they stepped inside the dusty little shop.

The old woman lazily lifted her head from the counter, looking as though she had been moments away from falling asleep. But the instant her eyes landed on the group, the boredom vanished from her face entirely.

Her gaze lingered on Kana first then Suri. Then finally Rose who stood quietly behind them beneath the dark cloak.

Something changed in the old woman’s expression. Her eyes lit up. The atmosphere inside the tiny shop suddenly felt oddly heavy, as though the cheerful old merchant had vanished for a brief moment and something far older was peering through them instead.

Then she grinned.

“Well now,” she muttered, eyes gleaming with strange excitement, “looks like our kingdom’s future might not be doomed after all.”

A cold sensation immediately crawled down Kana’s spine.

Of course the old woman noticed. Or at least suspected. Multiple evolved classes at once. Kana had already guessed the granny wasn’t ordinary back during their first meeting, but moments like this reminded her just how unusual the old woman class truly was.

Beside her, Suri moved awkwardly and pretended not to notice anything suspicious at all. Rose, meanwhile, quietly observed the old woman from the back of the shop. Kana caught the minimal movement of the narrowing commander’s eyes.

Kana quickly cleared her throat before the conversation drifted somewhere dangerous. She slipped the skill book from inside her cloak and placed it gently on the counter.

“It’s already been appraised once,” Kana explained, “but I wanted to cross-check something.”

The old woman snorted and immediately snatched the skill book with surprising speed. “You mean,” she corrected smugly, “you want the best of the best to check it.”

Suri sighed dramatically. “Look at her,” She complained. “Now she thinks she’s some known expert.”

Kana chuckled softly. “She might actually be right.”

Chelle, who had been silently observing the exchange, tilted her head curiously. “Why appraise it twice?” she asked. “Wouldn’t the result stay the same?”

Kana shook her head. “Most appraisals only tell you the surface,” she explained quietly. “Her appraisals are… a bit different.”

She glanced toward the old woman now flipping through the pages rapidly.

Meanwhile, Boris, Ryle, and several knights had already wandered off toward nearby blacksmith shops to inspect spare weapons and armor. The farther south they traveled, the more dangerous the roads would become. Better to prepare now than regret it later.

Inside the shop, the old woman suddenly became completely focused. Her playful expression disappeared. Invisible lines of text reflected faintly within her eyes while one wrinkled hand moved quickly across parchment, writing information only she could apparently see.

Even Suri leaned forward slightly now. The room grew quiet except for the scratching of the quill.

Kana watched silently. The old woman looked harmless at first glance. Just another merchant in a small forgotten town. Yet somehow, moments like this made Kana feel as though she were standing before someone who had seen far too much of the world.

After several long minutes, the old woman finally rolled the parchment shut and slapped it lightly against the counter.

“It’s done,” she announced proudly. “Two gold coins.”

Suri nearly jumped from her seat. “That’s stealing!”

“Wrong,” the old woman replied instantly. “That’s the best of the best pricing.”

Kana smiled faintly and placed three gold coins onto the counter instead.

The old woman’s eyebrow lifted. “Oh?”

“I have one more request,” Kana said quietly.

The old woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously while Kana picked up both the parchment and the skill book.

Then Kana spoke again. “Make sure you’re still here when I come back next time.”

For the briefest moment, the old woman froze. The grin on her face weakened slightly. Then she clicked her tongue loudly and waved her hand dismissively.

“Cheeky little brat,” she muttered. “I’ll live for several more decades at least.”

But the humor in her voice no longer sounded as strong.

Her gaze lingered on Kana, then Suri, then Rose.

When she finally spoke again, her voice had softened. “Don’t be reckless out there,” she said quietly. “People only get one life.”

The words settled heavily inside the room.

Kana’s fingers tightened unconsciously around the rolled parchment. The underwater dungeon flashed through her mind again.

The throne. The pressure. The sword stopped inches from her neck. The feeling of death staring directly into her eyes.

She gulped hard. The old woman suddenly clapped her hands loudly, breaking the heavy atmosphere before it could deepen further.

“Now get out already,” she complained dramatically. “You look all in a hurry. Should you be leaving by now?”

…

As they walked back toward the wagons, the streets of the southern town had begun calming again. The curious townsfolk still stared from afar, though less boldly now. The sight of cloaked armored knights moving around the area had reminded everyone that this was not some ordinary merchant convoy.

Kana paid them little attention. The moment they stepped away from the old woman’s shop, she had already unrolled the parchment while walking.

Suri immediately leaned closer, trying shamelessly to peek at the contents even though she had no idea while Chelle stretched from the other side with equal curiosity.

Kana’s red eyes moved quickly across the neat handwriting.Then paused.

A faint disappointment flickered across her face. Not because the appraisal was bad. Her fingers tightened slightly around the parchment as she glanced toward the skill book resting in her other hand.

The familiar translucent text appeared before her vision.

[Learn Dual Skilling?]

[Yes]

[No]

Kana selected [Yes] immediately.

The skill book dissolved into countless tiny particles of light, vanishing from her hand like ash scattered by the wind.

Suri noticed at once. “You learned it?” she asked, eyes brightening. “Finally.”

Kana nodded once. Yet her expression remained unusually thoughtful.

Suri tilted her head suspiciously. “That’s not the face of someone happy after finally getting a new skill.”

Kana slowly rolled the parchment closed. “It’s useful but has a limitation,” she admitted quietly.

Rose walked beside them beneath her dark cloak, her presence so faint and controlled that people naturally overlooked her despite her height. Kana had already noticed that about the commander. Rose could become invisible as if it was simply breathing though not as good as Zia.

Then suddenly, Rose spoke. “Is that old woman truly just an appraiser?”

The question made the group glance toward her.

Suri answered first. “Well… yes?”

“She also appraised the skill book where I got [Lightning Bolt]. She helped us before too, so we visit her often.”

Rose remained silent for several steps. The afternoon wind brushed against their cloaks while distant voices echoed through the town square.

Then Rose muttered quietly, “That woman feels strange.”

Chelle immediately hugged her own arms. “Right?” she said quickly. “I thought it was only me.”

Even remembering the old woman’s gaze made a faint chill creep through her body. Rose’s eyes narrowed slightly. “For a moment,” the commander admitted, “it felt like she was staring directly into my soul.”

The group fell silent after that. Coming from someone like Rose Light, those words carried weight. Kana glanced sideways toward the commander.

The fact that an old woman in a dusty little shop managed to do it so casually was deeply concerning.

Kana finally spoke. “She said before that she also possesses an appraisal skill meant for people.”

Rose had a rare surprised expression for a moment, “A rare ability,” she murmured.

“We’re used to it already,” Suri added with a shrug. “Every time we visit her, I feel like she already knows every secret I’ve ever had.”

That earned a soft laugh from Chelle.

The commander slowed slightly and glanced back toward the direction of the old shop.

Her eyes were thoughtful. Then, after a long moment, she spoke in a quieter voice. “That old woman is dangerous. A different kind of danger.”

…

It had been several days since they left the southern town behind.

The scenery had slowly changed the farther they traveled. The lush forests of the kingdom were becoming thinner now, replaced little by little by rougher lands, dry hills, and long stretches of open roads baked beneath the sun. Even the wind felt different here. Hotter. Sharper.

Inside the rattling wagon, most of the group rested quietly during the long journey.

Most. Chelle, however, had been secretly observing Ryle for nearly the entire morning. And the more she looked at him, the more worried she became.

“Ryle,” she finally asked softly, “are you alright?”

Ryle looked up from his seat near the wagon’s edge. Or rather, he tried to. His movements looked sluggish now. Like someone who had not properly slept in days. He forced a smile onto his face, though it looked painfully unnatural.

“I’m not sure,” he admitted before letting out a weak laugh. “Maybe.”

Suri narrowed her eyes and leaned forward slightly to inspect him more closely.

Now that Chelle mentioned it…

Ryle truly looked terrible.

Dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes. His face had become thinner over the last few days, making his cheekbones more visible than before. Even his posture looked tense, as though his body never fully relaxed anymore.

Suri frowned. “You’re probably not suited for long journeys like this,” she said. “You look like someone drained your soul while you were sleeping.”

Ryle immediately nodded. “Yes,” he said quickly. “That must be it.”

Chelle tilted her head. “That’s strange though,” she muttered. “I’m pretty sure you were fine during the northern expedition.”

Ryle’s smile twitched slightly. For half a second, his expression almost cracked completely. Because the truth was simple. The journey was not exhausting him.

Fear was. Ever since that moment in the forest…

Ever since Commander Rose somehow appeared silently behind him…

Ryle had not been able to relax properly.

It felt as though invisible eyes constantly followed him now.

Watching.

Waiting.

Waiting for his move as if she already knew his identity.

Every casual glance from Rose felt like a sword pressed quietly against his throat. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the wagon, Boris slept peacefully with his arms crossed despite the violent rattling of the wheels. Thorne rested comfortably atop his shoulder, equally unbothered by the journey.

Kana glanced toward Ryle briefly. Then muttered in her usual calm voice, “I didn’t know you had such a weak mind.”

The words struck like a knife. Ryle immediately felt heat rush through his body. His exhaustion vanished for a moment beneath pure irritation. He glared at Kana instinctively.

Kana met his gaze without even blinking. 

Suri slowly leaned toward Kana and whispered dramatically into her ear, “You are truly gifted at motivating people.”

Kana nodded seriously. “I know.”

Suri stared at her for several seconds then slowly shook her head.

Sometimes Kana possessed the emotional awareness of a rock thrown into a river. An extremely dangerous rock. Chelle quietly covered her mouth, trying not to laugh while Ryle sat there silently fuming.

Strangely enough though…

He looked slightly more awake now.

Post note:

[Dual Skilling]

Activate two existing same types of skills at once.

Cooldown: 12 hoursHave a great weekend! Fifth Chap of the week.

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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