Reality

"Golden Assassin?!"
Sunflower blinked, confused.

"Why yes," Reality replied with a smile. "You probably don’t know this, but your popularity has grown over the past year. You're famous—people have given you all sorts of names. Golden Assassin is just one of them."

"Alright, both of you sit down," Dawn interjected. "We have something important to discuss."

As the two women joined him at the desk, Dawn cleared her throat before speaking.

"I believe you know why I hired her," she said, looking at Sunflower.

Sunflower gave a silent nod.

"It’s been two months since Lance escaped. I’ve hired Reality, from the capital, to help us find a way forward."

"But I thought you said the task was so dangerous that no mage would want to get involved—no matter the price?" Sunflower asked.

Reality turned to her.
"That’s true. Breaking a seal over 200 years old is dangerous—life-threatening, even. But I wasn’t hired to break the seal. I’m here to prolong it."

"So what’s your plan?" Dawn asked, intrigued.

Reality crossed her legs and leaned back.
"Well, it’s known that if Lance dies, another will eventually emerge. But if we can acquire some of his blood, I might be able to estimate how long that would take—or how long it would take him to regenerate from a severed head. With that information, we could plan our defense more effectively."

Both Dawn and Sunflower fell silent. Neither of them had managed to secure even a drop of blood during their last encounter. Regret flickered in their eyes.

Noticing this, Reality gave a gentle laugh.
"Relax. Even if you don’t have his blood now, judging by the way you described your last battle, I’d say he’s in the final stages of recovery. He’ll likely approach the village within a few weeks. But against you"—she looked at Sunflower—"he poses little threat."**

"And what makes you think he’ll head straight for the village once he’s healed?" Dawn asked.

Reality offered a mysterious smile.
"Call it a hunch."

The next hour passed in discussion—Reality’s role, defense strategies, and Sunflower’s many questions about the capital.

"Is it true it takes a whole month to reach the capital?" Sunflower asked.

"About twenty-eight days," Reality confirmed. "That’s how long it took me to reach Tresia."

"What’s the capital like?" Sunflower’s curiosity bloomed.

"Busy. Especially the market—it’s chaotic. New firms come and go every day, competition is fierce. But the civil sectors are well-maintained, neat. It’s a wonderful place if you want opportunity—good jobs, new technologies. You should visit sometime. I’ll show you around."
Reality’s smile was warm and open.

Dawn stood up, straightening her coat.

"Alright, Sunflower. Reality’s had a long journey. Escort her to her suite with a few of your men."

Sunflower nodded and opened the office door.
"This is Ben and Doffer," she said, gesturing to two guards.

As Reality followed them down the hallway, Sunflower turned back to re-enter Dawn’s office.

Dawn sat at the desk, arms crossed.
"So? What’s your impression of her?"

"Judging by her aura, she’s definitely a mage. Her walk, her words—they were consistent. Do you think she’s dangerous?"

Dawn sighed, resting his head on his hand.

"Dangerous? Absolutely. She’s a big deal in the capital. A prodigy. One of the strongest mages alive, She has a promising future Yet she took this mission without hesitation. That alone makes her worth watching. Prolonging a curse isn’t a task for the faint-hearted."

"How much did she cost?"

"A hefty sum. But I think she asked for such a high amount to avoid raising suspicion. If she’d asked for too little, it would’ve looked strange."

He leaned forward.
"By the way, what happened? You overslept today."

"Family," Sunflower replied simply. She didn’t elaborate—and Dawn didn’t pry.

"There’s still time before your shift. Get some rest. My office is yours."

"I’m not sleepy anymore. I’ll start early."

"You need to be in top form. Lance could appear at any moment. Get proper rest."

This time, she nodded. She lay down on the sofa. Dawn quietly draped a blanket over her and stepped out with a smile.

"Rest well."

He shut the door.

Knock. Knock.

Sunflower stirred awake.
"Is it time for my shift?" she mumbled, half-asleep.

"Ma’am Sunflower—you need to see this immediately!"
It was one of her men.

She shot up from the couch, heart pounding, and slammed the door open. Following the soldier down the hallway, she reached the balcony at the top of the Chief’s headquarters.

The wind was cold.

One of the guards pointed into the darkness.
"There!"

At first, she saw nothing.

Then—light. Faint, flickering. Not bright enough to be a group. Just one individual.

Someone carrying a torch. Slowly, deliberately, walking toward the village.

Her eyes sharpened. Her breath caught.

"Lance..."
She said it softly—but with absolute certainty.