Before heading to Bergavil.

I stared at the 12-year-old girl, who was still breathing heavily after the scream that silenced us. I couldn't contain my curiosity.

"Who are you, anyway?" I asked directly.

Margarida sighed, as if this were an uncomfortable revelation.

—Her name is Windy Stone, —replied Margarida.

The girl lifted her chin proudly.

— I am a commoner. And also Margarita's maid. — she said Windy .

— Windy ! — Margarida interrupted, irritated.

"Stop saying that. You're not my maid. You're my friend," Margarida said softly.

The silence that fell afterward was different from the previous one. Everyone was shocked. Ryn's eyes widened, Kalea even let out a "what?", and Yukiko could barely hide her disbelief. No one would have imagined seeing the haughty Princess Margarita admitting friendship with a commoner.

I crossed my arms and said in an ironic tone:

Slime Pleasure affected your personality, Margarida?” I asked her sarcastically.

Before she could answer, Windy smiled.

— No. Margarida was my friend long before the current heroes arrived in this world. — Windy said.

I remained silent, but inside a question echoed: if Margarida was already friends with a commoner… why did she hate commoners so much and want to overthrow me?

Windy broke my thought with the same firmness as before.

"No more fighting. We're all a team now," Windy said.

Ryn was the first to agree.

"You're right. We need to stop wasting time. I suggest we leave tonight for the demon lands," Ryn said.

“I agree,” Kalea said immediately.

Ayano gave a slight nod, without objection.

Yukiko , however, crossed her arms.

— No. First, we must go to Bergavil . I need to see my teacher Clementine . — he said. Yukiko .

Ryn slammed his fist on the table angrily.

"We're talking about the land of demons and you want to detour to visit someone?! " he said . Ryn angry.

Yukiko held his gaze without flinching.

— It's not someone. It's Clementine . And you'll understand when we get there. — he said Yukiko .

The tense silence stretched on until Ryn took a deep breath and relented.

—Very well. Bergavil first. But then we'll go straight on. — he said. Ryn .

Windy smiled again and looked at me.

— Araya , I want to train with you. This afternoon, in the fields. — he said Windy .

I looked at her, surprised by her boldness. Then I gave a smirk.

— Okay. I accept. — I accepted.

The afternoon sun was blazing brightly when I arrived at the fields, already prepared. The wind stirred the tall grass, and there was Windy , standing with his arms crossed, a defiant smile on his face. Margarida had insisted on coming too, and now she sat on a nearby rock, watching silently, with her usual curious and critical gaze.

I took a deep breath.

“So… do you want to face the Copy Hero?” I asked her.

Windy lifted her chin proudly.

— Not just confront. I want to see if you're worthy of leading this group. — he replied. Windy .

He smiled from the corner of his mouth.

— Fine. But don't regret it later. — I told her.

I assumed a combat stance. The energy of my abilities flowed through my body, Minotaur Strength making my muscles heavy and firm, Slimes latent in my hands, my mind already thinking about how to combine Slow, Poison, and even the damned Slime Pleasure if necessary. And, deep down, Teleport , like a hidden card.

Windy raised her arms. The air around her shifted. Wind currents rose like invisible blades, and the ground beneath her feet shook. Small rocks sprouted from the earth and began to orbit her like satellites.

“Wind and stone,” Windy said proudly.

— Separated, they are strong. But together… they are unstoppable. — he continued Windy .

The first move was hers. A gust of wind ripped across the field toward me, dragging with it a hail of sharp rocks. I teleported a few meters to the side, reappearing with a laugh.

— Fast… but not fast enough, — I said.

Slime Slow and fired a bluish goo into the air. The wind scattered some of it, but a few drops hit Windy 's arm , which for a second seemed to slow down. She gritted her teeth and countered, gathering the wind around the larger stone orbiting her body. She fired it like a cannonball.

Minotaur Strength . The impact knocked me back a few feet, and the ground sank beneath my feet. My arm throbbed, but it held.

— Good. Very good. — I praised Windy .

I smiled and concentrated energy into my palm. This time I used Poison Slime , releasing a greenish goo that ricocheted in the wind, spreading a toxic smell across the field. Windy coughed but stamped his foot: rocks rose like a wall, blocking the poisonous cloud. Immediately afterward, a swirl of air blew the mist away.

Margarida watched with her arms crossed, her expression hard.

— You two look like children trying to show who's stronger, — said Margarida.

"It's not a joke. It's a test," I replied between heavy breaths.

Windy smiled, her hair blowing in the wind.

— Now, Araya … show if you are truly worthy. — he said Windy .

Suddenly, she combined the two forces, wind and stone. The stones began to spin around her, accelerated by the wind until they formed a spinning ring, like a storm of blades. The noise was deafening.

I swallowed hard, but smiled.

—So it's like this… Let's see if you can handle it! — I told her.

I teleported straight into the center of the whirlwind, activating Minotaur Strength to resist the impact of the rocks, and unleashed a wave of Slime Slowness , expanding from my body like a pulse. The rocks spun slower, the wind slowed, and Windy's eyes widened in surprise.

I took advantage of the opportunity and grabbed her arm tightly.

— I got you. — I told her.

She smiled, even though she was trapped.

— It was just a test, Araya . — he said Windy .

I released her. The whirlwind broke, rocks fell to the ground, and the wind calmed. We were both panting, covered in sweat, but still standing.

Margarida stood up, her gaze serious.

"I admit... you two are strong. But what I saw here wasn't enemies . It was a potential partnership," said Margarida.

I looked at Windy , still smiling despite the effort.

"You're good. Better than I imagined," I said, praising her.

She looked at me with that glint of pride.

"And you're crueler and smarter than they say. I like it," Windy said.

Practice ended in a heavy silence, only the sound of our breathing echoing across the field. I was just about to relax when Windy lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling with that irritating confidence of hers.

— Araya … this training wasn't just to measure your strength. — he said Windy .

I frowned.

— What do you mean? — I asked.

She crossed her arms, all proud.

— The real purpose was to find out if you are worthy of marrying Margarida.

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. I blushed instantly, unable to respond. Beside me, Margarida's mouth fell open in shock, her eyes wide and her face fiery red.

— W- Windy , are you crazy?! — Margarida screamed, but her voice was shaky.

I felt my heart race, and my mouth dry.

— I-I … this has nothing to do with… — I tried to speak.

I felt even more awkward when I noticed Margarida glance at me, then look away again, as if she couldn't hold her gaze. The entire field seemed to weigh down on us.

In the end, I sighed heavily, trying to regain control.

— …It's time to go back. — I said.

Margarida nodded quickly, still blushing, and without looking directly at me. We walked in silence back to the Zairos ' house , with Windy smiling victoriously, as if she had revealed the greatest secret in the world.

Ryn met me in the hallway with that always practical way of his.

“I’m already getting ready to go to Bergavil ,” Ryn said , adjusting some bags.

I felt it.

— Well... before that, I'm going to the river near the woods to take a bath. — I needed a moment to myself.

He just raised an eyebrow, but nodded. I grabbed towels and clean clothes and went on my way.

The river was calm, reflecting the sky like a mirror. I took off my clothes, dove in, and let the cold water wash over my body and, to some extent, my mind. After a while, I got out, wrapped myself in a towel, and went to get the clothes I'd left behind... but they weren't there.

"Are you looking for those clothes?" said a familiar voice.

I turned my head immediately.

— Ayano … — I narrowed my eyes.

— Stop messing around and give me my clothes back. — I told her.

She held her clothes to her chest, smiling like a fox.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Ayano asked.

I tried to pull at the memory, until the memory fell on me like a weight. I sighed.

— …It's impossible for us to do this in the house. — I told her.

Her smile widened.

— I know. That's why it's perfect here in the woods. — he said. Ayano .

I was at a loss. I was only in a towel, vulnerable, and Ayano was as insistent as ever. Finally, I gave in.

— Okay … — I accepted, murmuring.

Almost an hour later, we returned to the house. Ayano and I were flushed, walking side by side in silence. As soon as we entered, I felt everyone's eyes on us. Ryn , Kalea , Margarida, even Windy —everyone already suspected what had happened.

I threw up my hands in frustration.

— I was forced to do this… — I said.

Ayano 's mischievous smile grow beside me, as if she had achieved a victory.

Ryn spread the map out on the table in the old Zairos house , each face lit by the flickering candles.

"We need to define the tasks. The trip to Bergavil will require organization," Ryn said .

The division of duties went like this: Ryn , responsible for the route and navigation. He would study the map to find secondary routes, away from patrols. Kalea , in charge of silent security, using her Stealth to watch for ambushes. Windy , would take care of supplies and disguises, with contacts in the camp who could help. Margarida, would handle the political side, ready to use her influence and noble contacts if a roadblock arose. Yukiko , would build a stockpile of healing items for emergencies. Ayano , would provide offensive cover, exploiting her Aim ability and serving as the main combatant in case they were ambushed. Frederica , with her Total Rating, would be the source of hidden information; she would track potential threats or safe locations along the way, even against her will. I, Araya , would keep the group together and act as the escape hatch with Teleportation , should everything go wrong.

Margarida, crossing her arms.

"You're all taking this seriously... but in Bergavil, nothing will be simple," Margarida commented.

Frederica , who had remained silent until then, took a deep breath:

"If I have to use my ability, I want to make it clear, it won't be forever. But I can help find safe routes to the city entrance," Frederica said.

Ayano smirked.

—Then we're ready. If everything goes wrong, at least I'll have fun fighting. — he said Ayano .

I looked at everyone.

"So that's it. Tonight we leave," I said.

The sky was already covered in heavy clouds, and only the partially hidden moon cast a pale glow over the silent ruins of the Zairos 's former home . The cold wind bit at the skin, bringing with it the distant scent of burning wood and damp earth.

Gathered in the courtyard, we were all ready, but the atmosphere was tense. No one said anything for a few seconds; only the sound of the horses' hooves and the wagon Ryn had prepared filled the air.

Kalea adjusted her cloak, her eyes alert as if expecting ambushes even here. Windy arranged the sacks of supplies, whistling softly to break the suffocating silence. Margarida, for her part, kept her arms crossed and a proud expression, but I could see the hardness in her eyes. Yukiko leaned against the wagon, hands clasped, murmuring as if in prayer, perhaps trying to convince herself that visiting Clementine in Bergavil was indeed a good idea.

Frederica was the last to leave the house. Her clothes still resembled an impeccable guild receptionist, but without her usual confident posture. She adjusted her glasses, avoiding direct eye contact.

"If we're going, let's do it now. The longer we delay, the riskier it is," he murmured. Frederica .

Ayano smiled at the corner of her eye, as if the tension didn't affect her.

—It almost seems like we're going to war. — he said Ayano .