Luke, having recently moved to the village, had already made some acquaintances among the locals. Unbeknownst to him, word had spread quickly about the "handsome young man" who had settled in town, and before long, that became his unofficial nickname.

“Oh, Cale, your ranch is pretty big.”

These days, Luke was spending his time adapting to village life. Having lived exclusively at the Imperial Army headquarters in the capital, he now felt it was important to establish a good rapport with the villagers, as he planned to settle here for the long term. His experiences as a soldier had taught him how strained relationships could have far-reaching consequences.

“It looks like it might be too much work for your parents alone?”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking I might just take over the family business,” Cale replied, wiping sweat from his brow as he tidied up a pile of hay. When Luke had offered to help, Cale adamantly refused, insisting that he couldn’t have a guest doing chores.

Since moving to the village, Luke had grown closest to Cale. Upon learning that Cale was two years younger than him, they had grown comfortable enough to speak informally to each other.

Luke turned to gaze at the vast expanse of the ranch. Sheep and dairy cows roamed leisurely across the lush grass, their slow movements bringing an unintentional sense of calm to Luke.

“I’ll be right back, just heading inside,” Cale said as he opened the gate to the pen and stepped in.

At that moment, a mischievous sheep lurking nearby suddenly bounded forward and slammed into the gate, flinging it wide open.

“Ah?!”

Before Cale could react, the sheep bolted out of the pen. Though he hurried after it, the sheep had already escaped beyond the fence.

Watching the scene unfold from afar, Luke calmly raised his hand, aiming at the runaway sheep. With a snap of his fingers, an invisible wall seemed to form in midair, causing the sheep to collide headfirst into it with a resounding "thud." The animal came to an abrupt stop.

Cale soon caught up and managed to secure the sheep, bringing the situation under control.

“Wow, it’s lucky it stopped so suddenly. That one’s such a troublemaker,” Cale said with a relieved smile.

“Yeah, good thing,” Luke replied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

Later, after finishing up the work, Luke followed Cale back to his house, where Cale’s mother offered him freshly baked pie. Both of Cale’s parents were warm and hospitable, asking Luke all sorts of questions and telling him not to hesitate to ask for help whenever he needed it. It seemed that saving their son during the monster attack had earned him significant goodwill.

With his stomach full, Luke eventually left for home, carrying a wrapped portion of pie in his hand. A gentle breeze swept across the grass and reached him, carrying the refreshing scent of nature.

“Wow, this breeze feels amazing.”

“Doesn’t it?” Cale responded.

The wind was dry and invigorating, the sweetness of the pie still lingering in the air. For a brief moment, Luke wondered if he had ever experienced such peace in his life. The capital, despite its advanced civilization, always felt suffocating with its tightly packed spaces. Here, though, the open expanse seemed to clear his mind of all negative thoughts.

As a child, he hadn’t thought much of this place, but now, with no burdens weighing on him, the scenery felt entirely different.

“If this kind of peace could last forever, I wouldn’t ask for anything mo—”

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed from the mountains near Cale’s ranch, cutting Luke off mid-sentence.

“Huh?” Cale exclaimed, his eyes wide with alarm.

“What in the world?!” his parents cried as they rushed out of the house.

“I don’t know. Something just exploded over there…” Cale stammered, pointing towards the source of the commotion, where plumes of gray smoke were rising into the sky.

“Cale,” Luke muttered, scratching his head, “is the Kyleum branch close by?”

“Oh, like I mentioned before, it’s in the district near the square, but…”

Luke fell into thought. Though the branch wasn’t particularly close to this part of the village, the magical unit should be able to warp to the location instantly. No matter how far away, they would likely arrive soon.

“But dear,” Cale’s mother said, “isn’t that where Ruben and her grandmother live?”

“Yes, and the old woman has trouble getting around… What could’ve happened?”

Hearing this, Luke tensed. He couldn’t ignore what they had just said—especially since he could feel the distinct aura of a monster emanating from that direction.

Sigh. Luke exhaled deeply, focusing his gaze on the source of the disturbance.

“L-Luke…” Cale stammered nervously as he noticed Luke preparing to move.

“Cale, could you do me a favor and take this pie back to my place?” Luke said, patting Cale’s shoulder before snapping his fingers once more. His body began to fade from view. When Cale’s parents asked where Luke had gone, Cale gave a vague excuse, brushing it off.

Luke successfully warped to the site of the explosion and let out a sigh of relief. Not being particularly adept at teleportation magic, he had worried about ending up in the wrong place. Luckily, he had landed right where he needed to be.

He quickly surveyed the area. The smoke was thicker than it had appeared from a distance, and bloodstains were scattered throughout the forest. Clenching his fist, Luke steeled himself.

The rising smoke would undoubtedly hinder any search or rescue efforts from the military unit. For now, he concentrated on detecting any signs of life. His senses picked up on human presence near the densest part of the smoke, and without hesitation, he dashed towards it. His incredible speed sliced through the smoke, leaving it trailing behind.

“Grandma! Please, someone help…! Cough…”

As Luke drew closer, he heard a desperate voice. A young boy was using a handkerchief to shield an elderly woman’s face from the smoke, struggling to protect her.

“Are you all right?” Luke asked, covering his own face with his sleeve and swiping his hand through the air. With a burst of magic, the smoke before them dispersed as though blown away by an invisible wind.

“W-Who…?” the boy stammered.

“Just a guy who moved in down the hill,” Luke said with a reassuring smile. He noticed a glimmer of hope in the boy’s eyes.

“My grandma, she…”

“She’ll be okay. Don’t worry…”

Luke’s comforting words were cut short by an eerie sound coming from behind him—a metallic scraping that sent chills down his spine. The boy’s expression darkened with fear, his body trembling.

Luke touched a nearby tree, channeling his magic. Thick branches shot out rapidly, forming a protective cocoon around the boy and his grandmother, pulling them to safety. The wooden barrier solidified into an impenetrable shield.

Luke turned to face the source of the sound. Through the thick smoke, the grotesque shadow of a towering figure emerged. With a wave of his arm, Luke scattered the smoke, revealing a monstrous creature.

It resembled a human but was horrifyingly thin, with its face wrapped in bandages and its body twisted unnaturally. Its insides were partially exposed, with organs spilling out and dragging along the ground.

The creature screeched, its excitement evident as it contorted itself further. Blood sprayed everywhere as its ruptured organs spilled out, melting nearby trees and releasing more smoke.

“Disgusting,” Luke muttered, glad he had shielded the boy. No child should have to witness this abomination.

“Killing it should make it less gross, right?” Luke mused, clapping his hands together as he prepared to act.

***

At the same time, the Kyleum branch was preparing for warp deployment. The site where the monster had appeared was a village deeper within Herba, and reports indicated it was likely a dangerous high-tier creature. The team mobilized with full preparation to handle the situation.

“The smoke is no joke,” one member noted.

“It’s probably a result of the monster’s power. From the melted traces we’re seeing, it might be an acid-type. Stay alert,” the commander, Calon, instructed.

“Yes, sir!”

“Let’s hope there are no civilian casualties…” Calon murmured grimly, brushing back his red hair as he led the team cautiously forward. Suddenly, one of his subordinates, skilled in detection magic, raised a hand and signaled with a wide gesture.

It was a discovery signal. Calon sprinted toward the subordinate.

“Is it the monster?” he asked in a hushed tone.

The subordinate shook his head.

“Uh, are you soldiers?” A voice called out, cutting through the haze of smoke before the subordinate could explain.

Emerging slowly from the smoke was a man with a boy and an elderly woman on his back. Draped in what looked like a makeshift cloak, he chuckled weakly before collapsing to the ground.

“Thank goodness… I thought I was going to die,” the man said with a breathless laugh.

Calon immediately ordered his team to secure the civilians. “Protect them and provide first aid!”

“Can you speak with us?” Calon crouched down in front of the man. The thick smoke and the makeshift covering made it difficult to discern the man’s features.

“Y-yes,” the man replied.

“Did you come from deeper inside? Did you happen to see the monster?”

Calon’s sharp eyes scanned the dirt smudges and torn clothes on the man as he spoke.

“Well, I did… but I was too busy running for my life to really get a good look…” the man replied, his voice trailing off.

So he had encountered the monster. Calon immediately ordered the rest of his team to begin a thorough search of the area.

“Oh, but… uh, there was a mercenary who saved us! They even killed the monster!”

“Is that true?” Calon asked, surprised.

The man nodded vigorously, his soft hair swaying slightly in the smoky air. Calon frowned in thought. A mercenary? Arriving before the military and subjugating the monster already? It wasn’t entirely impossible—if someone in the village had hired a skilled mercenary, they could have acted swiftly.

“Where is this mercenary now?” Calon pressed.

Scratching his head awkwardly, the man replied, “Uh… they left right after killing the monster. I’m not really sure where they went.”

If the mercenary had indeed defeated the monster, they would likely report it to the branch themselves to claim the bounty. That was standard procedure. Yet, something about the situation left a nagging feeling in the back of Calon’s mind.

“Do you remember anything about this mercenary? Their appearance? Maybe their name?”

These days, mercenaries often went to great lengths to promote themselves. Building a reputation meant more contracts and, consequently, more money. But to Calon’s surprise, the man seemed hesitant, responding with an awkward “Uh, I’m not really sure…”

“…You don’t appear to be seriously injured. For such a dangerous monster, you’re remarkably fortunate,” Calon remarked, his sharp gaze fixated on the man’s head. The man, sensing the scrutiny, gripped the tattered cloth around his shoulders tightly.

“Ah, now that I think about it… I might’ve heard a name,” the man suddenly said.

“What is it?”

The man’s throat bobbed as he hesitated, his eyes darting around as if trying to piece together a memory. Humming thoughtfully, he finally spoke.

“Sebastian?”