Chapter 408 (Patreon)

The meal had barely ended before Kana began noticing how strangely different the three of them were once they were no longer sitting around a table. Zaa’rd, who had been the messiest person during dinner, immediately transformed into an entirely different creature the moment the plates were cleared. 

He gathered every dish and stacked them neatly in one place before carrying them toward what appeared to be the kitchen’s washing area on the ground floor then he returned with a wet cloth and began wiping the table, then moved from one corner of the room to another, making sure there wasn’t a single crumb or stain left behind. Kana watched him in silence for a moment, wondering how someone capable of tearing apart a roasted elk with his bare teeth could become so particular about a speck of dirt.

Prime, meanwhile, had retreated to the side of the room and picked up the book that had been resting there before opening it and quietly returning to his reading. 

Telia had apparently decided that it was the perfect time to continue taking care of her appearance, pulling a large mirror from somewhere that Kana couldn't immediately identify where it came from. Kana's eyes lingered on it for a moment. Did she just use [Inventory]? She made a mental note to ask about it later.

At that moment, Kana walked toward the window and pushed it open. A gentle breeze slipped into the room and brushed against her face, carrying with it a surprisingly pleasant fragrance that reminded her of scented candles. It was probably coming from the cathedrals scattered throughout the city, though Kana couldn't be certain. Below, the streets were still alive despite the late hour. People continued moving through the roads, merchants were closing their stalls, carriages rolled past beneath the lanterns, and travelers wandered between inns and shops as though the night had only just begun.

Kana rested her hand against the window frame and leaned her head against it, staring at the city while her thoughts drifted back toward the academy. She wondered how the annual competition was progressing without her, whether Suri and Boris had already started fighting each other, and who would ultimately take the championship. She could almost imagine Suri complaining about something while Boris laughed loudly in the background.

The sound of footsteps brought her attention back to the room.

Zaa’rd returned, this time carrying a bucket of water, his large wolf-like body somehow managing to move quietly across the wooden floor. Without saying a word, he began cleaning again, wiping every corner and scrubbing places Kana hadn't even noticed were dirty. Prime didn't even look up from his book. He seemed so accustomed to Zaa’rd's cleaning habits that he simply lifted his feet whenever the wolf-man's wet towel approached.

Kana watched the strange routine for several moments before finally breaking the silence. “How long have you three known each other?”

Telia stopped whatever she had been doing to her face and looked toward Kana. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she walked over and sat beside her. “Since I'm the eldest and the oldest member of this party, I suppose I should tell you.”

She glanced toward Prime. “Prime is the second oldest member after me. He's been part of this party for fifteen years.”

Kana's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked toward the man sitting nearby. He appeared to be somewhere in his mid-thirties, perhaps a little older, but fifteen years was a long time. Was he already this strong when he joined them? Then another possibility occurred to her. Maybe evolving a class affects the appearance and how long someone can live.

Telia continued before Kana could ask. “Zaa’rd, this is going to be his twelfth this year.”

Kana slowly turned toward the wolf-man.

Zaa’rd paused in the middle of sweeping and glanced at her. “What?”

Kana stared at him for a moment longer before shaking her head. There were far too many strange things about this party already.

“We're also waiting for one more member,” Telia continued. “He was the most recent addition before you. He had been with us for five years.”

Kana frowned. “So there were only four of you?”

“Five,” Telia corrected.

Prime's voice cut through the conversation before Telia could explain further. “You are his replacement.”

The room seemed to grow quieter.

Prime lowered his book slightly, his eyes remaining fixed on the page. “He died a few months ago. He had been with us for around nine years.”

Kana's expression changed. Prime's voice had remained calm, almost indifferent, but something about the way his words settled into the room made Kana realize there was far more behind them. His heartbeat had changed, faintly enough that someone without her [Night Awareness] might never have noticed it.

“Right,” Prime continued after a moment. He finally closed the book and looked directly at Kana. “There is one rule you must remember above everything else. Do not approach an anomaly by yourself. If you encounter one, you call for the others. You do not try to fight it alone.”

Kana hesitated before asking, “Was he killed by an anomaly?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she might have crossed a line. “Sorry. I shouldn't have asked.”

Prime said. “It's fine.”

“That man had an excellent instinct. A few months ago, he encountered an anomaly near his hometown. According to the guild's investigation, he saw Ariane, the Fastest, carrying a young girl.”

Kana's fingers slowly tightened against the edge of the window.

“He knew he couldn't win, but he still tried. He attempted to kill the girl.”

Prime's eyes lowered slightly. “He told the people nearby that the young girl must not be allowed to live. When they asked him why, he said his instinct was telling him that she had to die.”

“Of course, he failed. Ariane killed him.”

Prime continued, his voice quieter now. “I don't believe in fate. But strangely enough, that young girl was an anomaly who had copied your appearance, Kana.”

“And for some reason, you became his replacement.” Prime's eyes met hers. “Quite a coincidence, isn't it?”

Kana didn't know how to answer.

She simply stared at him, the words circling through her mind. She had expected questions about her strength, her class, or perhaps her age. She hadn't expected to discover that the person she had replaced had died because of an anomaly wearing her face.

Prime gave a quiet chuckle. “Don't misunderstand me. I don't blame you. His death was his own fault. He should have called for backup instead of pursuing them alone.”

Kana looked down at the floor.

For some reason, the memory of Ariane's face came rushing back to her, followed by the impossible speed she had witnessed with her own eyes. There had been no hesitation in Ariane's movements, no wasted motion, nothing Kana could properly comprehend.

“No,” Kana finally said. Her voice was quiet. “If I were him, I would have done the same.”

Zaa’rd stopped sweeping.

Prime slowly raised his eyes.

Kana continued, staring toward the floor as she remembered that encounter. “Ariane, the Fastest, is too fast. Even if he had called for backup, there was no guarantee anyone could have stopped it before it escaped.”

The words hung in the room.

Zaa’rd slowly turned toward her, his ears twitching as he listened. Prime closed his book completely this time, there was no expression on his face as he studied Kana. Telia, who had been trying to maintain her composure, quietly brushed the corner of her eye with one finger, wiping away the small tear that had begun to form.

“I see,” Telia whispered.

Her smile was faint, almost sad. “He must have believed he had no other choice back then.”

It was a long night, far longer than Kana had expected, and what had started as a simple introduction to her new party had slowly turned into something much more comfortable. The four of them talked about nearly everything they could think of, from their experiences in dungeons to the different nations they had visited, and even the strange habits each of them had picked up over the years. Zaa’rd eventually joined the conversation as well, occasionally interrupting with his own opinions whenever something caught his attention, and Kana found herself becoming increasingly curious about these people who had reached evolved classes and somehow managed to survive long enough to become this strong.

At some point, Kana glanced toward Telia and hesitated before finally asking, “I’m from the Northern Kingdom, Miss Telia. You don’t hate me at all?”

Telia laughed softly, the sound carrying through the quiet room. “No. Most people in the Empire aren’t like that. It’s mostly the military and the royalty who hold that kind of hatred, especially the Emperor himself, since he still dreams of conquering the entire continent. But ordinary people? Even most nobles? They don’t really care about the people living in the north.”

She paused, then lowered her voice slightly, as if she were sharing something she normally wouldn't say so openly. “Although, I’ve heard that people from the north hate us. Is that what you are feeling right now?”

Kana thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. “At first, I did. But I don’t think you’re a bad person. And you’re right. Most people in the Northern Kingdom do hate the Empire and its citizens, though there’s a reason for it. Most of them have lost someone because of the last war.”

Telia's expression softened, and she slowly nodded. “That’s why I keep telling them the same thing. War breeds hatred, and hatred breeds another war. If people keep feeding that cycle, it won’t stop until there’s no one left to continue it.”

Kana looked at her with growing curiosity. “I even told the Emperor that himself.”

Kana's eyes widened. “You know the current Emperor!?”

Telia burst into laughter, clearly amused by Kana's reaction. “Of course I do. I was his teacher, and the same with his father. That warmonger was quite the piece of work himself.”

Kana stared at her for several seconds before finally asking the question that had been bothering her for quite some time. “Just how old are you?”

Telia gave her a sharp, knowing smile. “You know, young Kana, asking a young lady her age is generally considered impolite.”

Zaa’rd immediately turned toward Prime, his ears twitching as he looked genuinely confused. “Is this alright? Did you hear that? She called herself a young lady!”

Prime slowly closed his eyes, apparently deciding that ignoring Zaa’rd was easier than explaining anything to him. He returned his attention to his book as though none of them had spoken.

The night continued to deepen while the conversation wandered from one subject to another, until Kana finally noticed something strange about her companions. The streets outside had grown quieter, the lights from the buildings had begun to thin, and yet none of the three seemed remotely interested in sleeping.

Kana looked around the room, then finally asked the question that had been sitting in her mind for several minutes. “Uhm... when are you guys going to sleep?”

Prime stopped turning the pages of his book and slowly looked at her. “Didn’t we tell you?”

Kana blinked. “Tell me what?”

Prime calmly closed the book in his hands. “This party consists of members who are active at night. We usually rest during the day. That’s why Stolz placed you here.”

For a moment, Kana said nothing at all. Her mind went completely blank before a strange word from another world suddenly surfaced in her thoughts. They are a Vampiric type of class. Of course, not in a whole sense.

Kana frowned. She had no idea where that word had come from, nor why it had suddenly appeared in her mind at a time like this. What is a vampire anyway?

Post note:

[Vampire] class is going to be interesting. Not sure if it's a class or a curse.

Second chap of the week.Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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