VOL. 2: CHAPTER 22 — “FOUR NAMES ON ONE CONTRACT, AND WHISPERS IN THE LEDGER”

She had seen:

• Drunk idiots claiming dragon slays
•Crying rookies after first kills
•Veterans walking in missing limbs
•Corpses dragged back on stretchers

So when four young adventurers entered—
Dust-covered.
Burned.
Bloodied.

Smelling faintly of magma.
She did not panic.
She simply adjusted her glasses and said calmly:
“…You’re late.”

Ryn collapsed face-first on the counter.
“WE FOUGHT A GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENT—”

Lyka slapped a hand over his mouth.
“We fought… a… uh… lizard.”

Mira blinked. “…You’re F-rank.”

“Yes,” Chorona said politely, setting the quest token down.
“But we completed the contract.”

Mira frowned. “…All of it?”

Ryn lifted one finger weakly. “Define ‘all’…”



— KAI’S POV —

Guild halls always felt the same across worlds.
Noise.
Boasting.
Desperation disguised as confidence.

But the moment we stepped in—
Something changed.

Not silence.
Attention.
People glanced.
Then stared.
Whispers spread faster than they should have.

“…That’s the party from Blackridge…”
“I heard the quarry collapsed—”
“Didn’t a patrol go missing there last week…?”
“They’re F-rank— no way—”

I kept my head down.
Hands in pockets.
Casual.
Normal.

Ryn limped dramatically beside me.
“Just so everyone knows— I was emotionally brave.”

“No you weren’t,” Lyka said. “You screamed in three different languages.”

“That was tactical screaming.”

Chorona smiled faintly. “…You did very well.”

Ryn brightened instantly.
“SEE— at least someone respects me—”

“—for surviving.”

“…I hate all of you.”



— GUILD OFFICER POV: QUEST REVIEW DESK —

Senior Officer Halbrecht read the report slowly.
Then again.
Then rubbed his temples.

“…So,” he said carefully, “you’re telling me…”
He looked at the four of us.
 “You encountered a reinforced Ashscale variant… with multiple cores… inside a collapsed mining zone…”

“Yes,” Chorona nodded.

“…And you defeated it.”

“Yes.”

“With no casualties.”

“Yes.”

“…And minimal property damage.”

Ryn coughed. “…Define minimal.”

Halbrecht stared at the parchment.
Long.
Quiet.
Then exhaled.
“Either you’re lying.”
Silence.
“Or,” he continued, “…someone is testing monsters near the capital.”

Silence became heavier.

Lyka crossed her arms. “We’re not lying.”

Halbrecht studied us one by one.
Ryn: nervous, honest.
Lyka: bruised, defiant.
Chorona: calm, sincere.
Me—He lingered longest on me.Too long.

“…And you?” he asked.

“What about me?”

“You’re listed as Elemental. No specialization. No academy record. No guild history.”

“I’m talented.”

“…That’s not reassuring.”

I smiled.
It didn’t help.



— MEDICAL WING —

The healer took one look at us.
And screamed. “WHY ARE YOU ALL BURNED DIFFERENT COLORS—?!”

Ryn pointed weakly. “That one tried to eat me.”

The healer shoved a potion into his mouth.
“STOP TALKING.”

Lyka leaned back on the bed.
“Ten out of ten quest. Would almost die again.”

The healer nearly hit her.
Chorona sat quietly while being treated.
I stood nearby.
Watching.
Thinking.
Then—

She spoke softly. “…Kairen.”

I flinched.
Instant.
Controlled.

She noticed. “…Sorry. I mean… Kairen.”

“…It’s fine,” I said.
But she looked unconvinced.

Ryn squinted between us.
“…Why do you two look like you just shared a tragic past life?”

“We didn’t,” I said.

Lyka nodded. “Definitely lying.”



— KAI’S INTERNAL MONOLOGUE —

They didn’t ask how.
Good.
They didn’t ask what spells.
Better.
They only knew:

• Monster dead
• Party alive
• Quarry unstable

That was enough.
For now.
But reputation was already moving.

Quietly.
Dangerously.



— GUILD RUMOR POV (ADVENTURERS’ TABLE) —

“…I heard they collapsed half the quarry.”
“No way.”
“One of them froze magma.”
“Which one?”
“The black-haired guy.”
“Nah, he barely talked.”
“That’s worse.”

“…I heard the beast had multiple cores.”
“…That’s military tech.”
Silence.
“…Why was that near the capital?”

No one answered.



— OFFICIAL RESULT —

Halbrecht finally stamped the parchment.

Quest Status: COMPLETED
Additional Hazard Bonus Applied
Party Performance Rating: ABNORMAL (Under Review)

Ryn pumped a fist weakly. “WE LIVED—!”

Lyka smirked. “Barely.”

Chorona bowed politely. “Thank you for your time.”

Halbrecht hesitated. “…Your party.”

“Yes?”

“You should… register officially.”

Ryn blinked. “We weren’t already?”

“No,” Halbrecht said. “You were temporary.”

Silence.
Then—

Ryn grinned. “Oh.”



— PARTY REGISTRATION SCENE —

Mira slid a new slate forward.
“Party Name?”

Silence.

Ryn panicked. “WE DIDN’T PREPARE—”

Lyka shrugged. “Four Idiots.”

“No.”

“Lucky Survivors.”

“No.”

Chorona hesitated. “…Four Names…?”

They looked at me.
“…Why me?”

“You’re quiet,” Lyka said. “Means you’re important.”

“…That logic is flawed.”

Ryn snapped his fingers. “WAIT— Four Names on One Contract.”

Chorona’s eyes lit up. “…That’s nice.”

Lyka shrugged. “Works.”

I nodded once. “Fine.”

Mira wrote it down.

Party Name: Four Names on One Contract
Members:
• Ryn Valecross
• Lyka Fenrune
• Chorona Silver
• Kairen Nacht

Party officially registered.
And just like that—

I had a team.
Whether I wanted one or not.

— AFTERMATH: REPUTATION SHIFT —

As we left—More eyes followed.
More whispers formed.

Not fear.

Curiosity.

Interest.

Which was worse.

Chorona walked beside me.
“…You’re thinking too hard again.”

“Habit.”

“…You don’t like attention.”

“No.”

She hesitated. “…But you’re good with people.”

I glanced at her. “Am I?”

She smiled faintly. “I think so.”

That unsettled me.



— UNKNOWN SCENE —

High above the guild hall—

In a tower of white stone—
A man in imperial robes listened to a report.

“…A four-person party neutralized the quarry prototype.”

The man folded his hands. “And the human?”

“Unknown background. Elemental affinity. Extremely calm.”

Silence.
Then—

“…Observe quietly.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Far away—
The machine of war took note.

— GUILD INTERNAL POV: OBSERVATION ARCHIVE —

Deep beneath the Valenheim Guild Hall, past locked doors and mana-sealed corridors, existed a room most adventurers never knew about.

The Observation Archive.
Walls lined with floating crystal slates.
Runic lamps humming softly.

Dozens of clerks and analysts working in quiet urgency.

At the center—A newly created file glowed faintly.

FILE ID: VHE-ANM-042
SUBJECT: Party — “Four Names on One Contract”
Status: Under Passive Observation

Senior Analyst Renvar adjusted his monocle.
“…F-rank party completes reinforced prototype extermination with zero casualties.”

His assistant frowned. “That shouldn’t be possible.”

“Correct.” Renvar tapped the slate. “Which member delivered the killing blow?”

“…Unknown.”

Silence.

“That’s… unusual.”

Another clerk approached hesitantly.
“Sir… one member’s mana signature recorded inconsistently. The readings… don’t stabilize.”

Renvar narrowed his eyes. “Which one?”

“…Kairen Nacht.”

Renvar exhaled slowly. “Open subfile.”

A second slate formed.

SUBFILE: INDIVIDUAL — Kairen Nacht
Origin: Unverified
Academy Record: None

Spell Pattern: Elemental — Irregular

Threat Assessment: Pending

“…Interesting,” Renvar murmured.

Then another alert chimed.
The assistant stiffened. “…Sir. Another irregularity.”

Renvar looked up. “…Which one now?”

“…Chorona Silver.”

Silence.

Renvar blinked. “…What about her?”

The assistant hesitated. “…Fate-thread mapping returned blank.”

The room froze.

“…Blank?” Renvar repeated.

“Yes. No divergence. No future probability. No past record variance.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I know.”

Renvar stared at the slate.
Long.
Then closed it.
“Flag her quietly. Level Blue. No alerts to the Empire.”

“…Sir?”

“She is either blessed.”
Or—“…cursed.”

— KAI’S POV: GUILD TAVERN FLOOR —

The Guild’s tavern was loud.
Which meant it was perfect.
Noise drowned whispers.

Laughter masked tension.

And adventurers drank like tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed.

Ryn slammed his mug down triumphantly.
“FIRST SUCCESSFUL QUEST—!”

Lyka raised hers. “First time you didn’t almost die.”

“I ALMOST DIED THREE TIMES.”

“Progress.”

Chorona smiled, lifting her cup carefully.
“…To our first contract.”

We clinked mugs.
I didn’t drink much.
Habit.
But—

For the first time since Aerin—…I didn’t hate being here.



— COMEDY INTERLUDE: PARTY BANTER —

Ryn leaned toward me conspiratorially. “So. Real talk.”

“No.”

“Too late. Real talk. What actually are you?”

“…Human.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It literally is.”

Lyka smirked. “He means ‘why are you terrifying’.”

“I’m not terrifying.”

Chorona nodded seriously. “You erased a monster.”

“…Minor detail.”

Ryn choked on his drink.
“MINOR—?! YOU TOUCHED IT AND IT STOPPED EXISTING—”

“Inside voice.”

“INSIDE VOICE IS IMPOSSIBLE AFTER THAT—”

Lyka laughed. “Relax. I’ve met weird mages before.”

Chorona tilted her head. “…Not like this.”

Silence.

I raised an eyebrow. “…You’re staring.”

“I’m… trying to understand you.”

“Bad idea.”

She smiled faintly. “Probably.”

Ryn clutched his head.
“WHY ARE YOU TWO HAVING A ROMANTIC MYSTERY CONVERSATION WHILE I’M TRAUMATIZED—”

“We’re not romantic,” I said instantly.

Chorona blinked. “…We aren’t?”

Lyka burst out laughing.

Ryn slammed his head on the table.
“THIS PARTY IS CURSED—”



— POV: LYKA —

She watched them.
Quietly amused.
The quiet human.
The strange girl.
The loud idiot.
And herself.

This party……felt wrong.
But good.
Dangerous.

But warm.

And somehow—

She trusted the quiet one.
Which made no sense.

And yet—

When danger came—
She knew exactly where she’d stand.



— KAI’S POV: (PARTY BONDING MOMENT) —

Chorona stirred her drink absentmindedly.
“…Kairen.”

I looked at her.

“…Thank you. For earlier.”

“For what?”

“For… protecting me.”

I shrugged. “Part of the contract.”

She hesitated. “…You don’t treat people like tools.”

“I do.”

“…No,” she said softly. “You treat them like they matter.”

I didn’t answer.
Because—That was dangerous.



— GUILD POLITICS POV: HIGH COUNCIL CHAMBER —

Three figures sat around a circular table of crystal.
Renvar.
A regional guildmaster.
A liaison from the Imperial Ministry.

“…A reinforced prototype neutralized near the capital,” the liaison said calmly.
“And the Empire was not informed.”

The guildmaster folded his arms. “It occurred in guild jurisdiction.”

“It involved military assets.”

“Unofficial assets.”

Silence.

Renvar spoke quietly.“…The party is being monitored.”

“And the anomaly?”

“…No anomaly confirmed.”

The liaison smiled faintly.
“Good. Because if an anomaly appears near Valenheim...The Emperor will not tolerate uncertainty.”



— KAI’S INTERNAL MONOLOGUE —

Laughter echoed around me.
Ryn telling exaggerated stories.
Lyka heckling him mercilessly.
Chorona listening quietly.

Normal.
This felt…Normal.
Which meant—

It wouldn’t last.

Someone had built that creature.
Someone would come looking.
And when they did—

This party would be standing next to me.

Which meant—

They’d be in danger.

Again.

I clenched my fist.
Not again.



— SUBTLE THREAT ESCALATION —

A hooded adventurer passed our table.
Paused.
Looked at me.
Too long.
Then left.

Amara whispered.

『Surveillance probability increasing.』

『Imperial observers likely active within Guild Hall.』

“…Figures,” I muttered.

Chorona looked up. “…What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

A lie.



— FINAL SCENE: FILE UPDATE —

In the Observation Archive—Renvar added a final note.

SUBJECT: Kairen Nacht
Assessment:
• Combat efficiency abnormal
• Emotional control extremely high
• Power source untraceable
Recommendation: Continue passive observation

Avoid direct interference

Then—
Another note beneath.

SUBJECT: Chorona Silver
Assessment:
• Fate-thread invisible
• Probability models fail
• Emotional correlation with Subject Nacht unusually strong
Recommendation: Do NOT inform Imperial Ministry
Monitor closely
Preserve at all costs

Renvar closed the slate.
“…This party,” he murmured. “…will either save this city.”
Or—
“…be the reason it burns.”