Trust is not Potable

Trust is much like a promise. It is something invisible, yet powerful enough to bind one heart to another. It is given willingly, nurtured over time, and strengthened through countless shared moments. But once broken, it leaves behind a wound no blade could ever inflict a scar that lingers long after the pain itself has faded.

Yolina understood that better than anyone.

It was not simply that she feared making promises anymore. Nor was it that she had forgotten how to trust. The true fear buried deep within her heart was far simpler, and far more painful.

She was afraid of becoming attached.

Every bond she had ever cherished had eventually become another memory she was forced to carry alone.

After arriving in Menzoga, the party was escorted to a modest wooden shack where they would spend the night before venturing into the Dungeon of Prufundu at first light. The two injured knights were immediately carried inside by several villagers who introduced themselves as the settlement’s medical experts. Yolina had quietly stepped forward, intending to heal their injuries herself, but Buggia gently stopped her.

"You’ve already done more than enough for today, Blue Mage," he said with a warm smile. "Leave them to us. Our healers may not have magic, but they’ve treated wounded adventurers for years."

Yolina hesitated for only a moment before giving a silent nod.

If they truly possessed the knowledge to save the knights, there was little reason to interfere.

Even so, something about the village continued trouble her.

Menzoga stood closer to the Dungeon of Prufundu than any settlement she had ever known. By all logic, fear should have been woven into the lives of its people. The villagers should have built towering walls, maintained constant patrols, and lived every day expecting another attack.

Instead, they simply laughed.

Children ran through the streets without worry. Merchants packed away their stalls while exchanging cheerful conversation with their neighbors. Families prepared dinner as though monsters did not lurk only a short distance away.

It felt, too peaceful, almost unnatural.

As night settled over the village, the party retired to the shack to recover from the journey. Princess Teodosia had specifically instructed them to delay their expedition until morning. Demons were far more active after sunset, and entering the dungeon while exhausted would only increase the danger.

The others quickly drifted to sleep.

Yolina Instead, she quietly stepped outside, still concealed beneath the robes and porcelain mask of the Blue Mage.

If Menzoga truly relied upon the surrounding forest as its only line of defense, then someone needed to remain vigilant. Thick woods and towering trees might conceal a village from wandering monsters, but they would never stop a determined enemy.

Without informing the others, she volunteered herself for the night’s watch.

Standing beneath the pale moonlight, Yolina silently observed every corner of the village. Her gaze wandered from rooftop to rooftop, lingering on every shadow that moved between the trees. Despite the villagers behaving as though nothing threatened them, she refused to lower her guard.

It was then that she noticed several figures cloaked in hooded robes quietly making their way toward the building where the injured knights had been taken.

Are they Medical staff?

She watched them disappear inside before narrowing her eyes.

At that exact moment, a sharp pain shot through her side.

Her body stiffened.

Only then did she realize that one of the demons from the previous night’s ambush must have managed to wound her during the battle. The injury had been hidden beneath her enchanted robes, and with everything that had happened afterward, she had simply failed to notice it.

The fabric slowly repaired itself as streams of water flowed across the torn cloth, knitting every rip together until the coat appeared untouched.

The wound beneath, however remained.

Yolina placed a hand against her side.

She could have healed it instantly.

Instead, she chose not to.

Pain was something she no longer feared.

If anything, it reminded her she was still alive.

As she quietly endured the ache, soft footsteps approached from behind.

"You couldn’t sleep either?"

Leonardo walked beside the Blue Mage before resting his arms upon a nearby wooden fence, his gaze drifting toward the peaceful village below. For several moments neither of them spoke. They simply stood together beneath the quiet night sky, listening to the distant chorus of insects and the gentle rustling of leaves carried by the wind.

"You know…" Leonardo finally said with a faint smile, "this place reminds me of my hometown."

The Blue Mage remained silent.

"So many villages like this were inspired by the stories of the Freeman Seven," he continued. "People always believed that as long as heroes existed, places like this could stay peaceful."

Another brief silence settled between them before Leonardo let out a quiet sigh.

"I wanted to apologize."

His expression became unusually serious.

"For our argument in the carriage."

Yolina neither moved nor responded.

"I know what demons are capable of," Leonardo continued. "I know they lie. I know they’ve destroyed countless lives. After everything that happened yesterday… I understand your anger a little better."

He lowered his eyes.

"But, I still believe people can change."

His voice carried no arrogance.

Only conviction.

"You asked me why I’d risk my life to save a demon."

He smiled sadly.

"It’s because… one of them once saved mine."

Yolina’s fingers tightened ever so slightly against the wound beneath her robes.

"I mentioned you before about the three people I couldn’t save."

"My father, a girl name Yolina and another woman."

He looked toward the stars.

"That woman… was a demon."

The words hung quietly in the night air.

"She saved me from other demons when I was just a child. She didn’t have to. She could have abandoned me like everyone else."

Leonardo laughed softly, though there was little joy in it.

"When it was finally my turn to save her…I failed."

The Blue Mage remained motionless.

Leonardo shook his head.

"I’m not telling you this to change your mind. I just wanted you to understand mine. I know there are demons who deserve no mercy. But maybe… maybe there are others who deserve another chance. A chance to live differently. A chance to become someone better."

As he spoke those words, Yolina instinctively pressed harder against the wound hidden beneath her robes.

The pain surged through her body.

Leonardo noticed the subtle movement.

"Are you hurt?"

The Blue Mage immediately turned toward him.

The blank porcelain mask reflected nothing.

Leonardo immediately understood.

"Sorry."

He offered an apologetic smile before taking a step backward.

"I’ll leave you alone."

He stretched his arms before letting out a small yawn.

"You should get some rest too. A good night’s sleep is something everyone deserves."

With that, he quietly returned to the shack.

Yolina watched him disappear through the doorway before lowering her hand once again to the wound at her side.

For reasons she could not explain.

His words lingered longer than she wanted them to.

Morning arrived beneath a clear blue sky.

The entire expedition gathered before the colossal entrance to the Dungeon of Prufundu. Behind them stood nearly every villager of Menzoga, silently watching the seven heroes.

Standing before the enormous gate, everyone instinctively fell silent.

Beyond the entrance stretched nothing but darkness.

An endless, suffocating void that seemed to swallow both light and sound.

Even without magic, the others unconsciously stepped back.

The air itself felt heavier.

The Blue Mage slowly turned toward them.

"…You can all feel it?"

Artemisia nodded.

"The dark aura? Yes."

Yolina tilted her head ever so slightly.

"That shouldn’t be possible, without magic, none of you should be able to sense it."

Artemisia rested a hand over the crest engraved upon her armor.

"The Heroismo Crest."

"It was bestowed upon us during the Arthurian Trial. We still can’t use magic, but it allows us to sense magical energy… and resist it to some extent."

"I see…"

Yolina turned back toward the gate.

Another question soon followed.

"If this place was sealed for over a century, how was it opened?"

Buggia scratched the back of his head.

"We honestly don’t know. One day the gate was simply… open."

Zenobio frowned.

"That shouldn’t be possible."

He folded his arms thoughtfully.

"The seal was designed so that only someone without magical essence could unlock it."

"But everyone born in Madrerra possesses at least a trace of magic simply by living upon this land."

The Blue Mage gave a slow nod.

"That is correct. Long ago, we deliberately designed the seal that way. For someone to have opened it, they must never have possessed magic to begin with."

The implication unsettled everyone.

Yolina shifted her gaze toward Buggia.

"Have you noticed anyone suspicious visiting this area?"

The village chief thought for a moment before nodding.

"There was one person. They always wore a black coat with the hood pulled over their face. We never saw their appearance. They spoke to no one. They simply came and went."

Leonardo asked.

"You believe they opened the gate?"

Buggia quickly shook his head.

"No. I only know they were here. Without seeing their face, I can’t accuse them of anything."

His answer sounded reasonable.

Yolina studied the chief in silence.

The behavior of the villagers.

Their lack of fear.

The missing holy water within certain bracelets.

And a mysterious stranger clad entirely in black.

Piece by piece, her unease continued to grow.

Leonardo eventually broke the silence.

"If they really did open the gate, maybe they’re still inside."

The Blue Mage looked toward the endless darkness beyond the entrance.

"…Perhaps."

She rested one hand upon her staff.

"Shall we proceed?"

One by one, the others nodded.

Without another word, the six companions stepped through the ancient gate together, disappearing into the darkness of the Dungeon of Prufundu, while the morning light quietly faded behind them.