Seeing Sol cry while hugging her dead uncle shattered my heart even further. Her Imra was overflowing, wild and unrestrained, detectable by anyone with decent control. The sadness, pain, and frustration were overwhelming emotions. I couldn’t speak or move—just watched her until Marga and Arisa arrived.

  The two girls comforted her until Sol managed to calm down a little. I never felt sad or forgotten when they left me aside—the pain of losing someone like a father is far greater than physical pain. When Arisa looked at me and gave me a gentle hug, the wall I’d built around my feelings collapsed.

  My confused mind and aching heart took a brief breath. Her eyes told me, "It’s okay. Everything will be fine," and they quieted my emotions. When I met Marga’s gaze, I felt something similar. I had to be strong—I couldn’t show weakness in front of them. I had to be the emotional support, even if I was hurting just as much.

  "Everything will be okay, brother. You did everything you could. Don’t blame yourself." Glia’s voice echoed in my mind. No—it's more than that. I could feel her emotions: worry and anguish over my mental state. I thanked her mentally for all her help.

  I had to be strong for everyone. When Arisa released me from her warm hug, I kissed her forehead, pulled out the fang from my leg, and healed the wound immediately. As it healed, I realized something: I had just used my life affinity in front of all of them. My judgment was still clouded. I needed to be more cautious.

  I wanted to restore my arm, but I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate in front of them. It made me uncomfortable to see Arisa and Marga looking at the space where my arm should be. Well, if they’d already seen me heal a critical leg wound, it probably didn’t matter if they saw this too... But first, I approached Marga and Sol. I thanked the former and apologized to the latter. I knew it wasn’t my fault, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty for being there and failing to save him.

  Sol took my face in her hand, unable to find words. She just stared at me, her mind clouded. Her eyes shifted from me to her fallen uncle, then back to me. At that moment, I sensed two people entering my domain—I recognized one of them. I gently moved Sol’s hand aside and looked at Arisa. She understood and stepped in to support her.

  When I turned around, I saw the Baron walking toward us, dragging someone missing their legs. They had metal cuffs on their arms—likely similar to the ones my grandmother used recently. I walked toward him slowly, using the moment to regenerate my arm. The Baron’s eyes focused on me after scanning the area and taking in the situation.

  His eyes were filled with sorrow, but he controlled himself well to avoid worrying anyone. His gaze lingered on his daughter, still crying beside her uncle. Such control... I could sense his years of experience and similar losses from his days as a dungeon explorer.

  "Thank you for your help, Maki. In my eyes, you’ve ceased being a boy—you’ve become a man." His words carried weight. I could only nod gently.

  "But... but..." I looked at his deceased brother, then back to him. I stopped my words at a simple, "I’m sorry, Camux. I did everything I could, but in the end..."

  He cut me off before I could finish. "I know, Maki. You don’t need to say another word. We’ll talk more later." He dropped the shackled man at my feet. "Watch him for a moment. He shouldn’t be able to do anything. I have to fulfill my duties as a father and a ruler." He walked past me, firm and steady. I noticed many wounds on his body—deep claw marks especially on his arms. Without replying, I stared down at the man.

  This must be the one responsible. The stumps of his legs were cauterized to prevent bleeding out. His body was covered in burns, and he didn’t seem conscious. With what little mana I had, I conjured my best ice sword and placed it near his abdomen—ready to stab him the moment he tried anything.

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  This bastard orchestrated the attack. If not for the coincidence that the Baron and I were both here, this village would’ve been wiped out—every citizen trampled beneath monsters. The urge to kill him was overwhelming, and it took everything to suppress that savage instinct.

  I turned to watch Camux comfort his daughter while she clung to her friends’ hands. They spoke for several minutes—father and daughter. Sadly, I couldn’t hear from this distance. Sol stood and began walking, still holding Arisa and Marga’s hands. I could see the pain on her face—her world had been shattered.

  Camux picked up his brother’s body and stared at him for several seconds before walking behind them. I grabbed the chained man, kept the sword close to his abdomen, and followed.

  "Follow me. We’ll head to the western watch post. We’ll wait for the carriage to return to Marril from there." I waited until the others moved ahead and brought up the rear.

  "Thank you, Lady Marga. Without the help of your personal guards, the city guard wouldn’t have held out. Your assistance minimized casualties." Marga gave the Baron a small bow.

  So there weren’t just two attack points—there was a third. If Mains and his disciples hadn’t been there, the guards wouldn’t have lasted. Realizing that made my fury toward this man boil again. There were casualties over there—victims of his assault. If the Baron didn’t want to interrogate him, I’d have already cut off his arms.

  Time passed quickly. The Baron left first in a fast carriage with the attacker. We waited for another one to return. When I crossed paths with Mains and his disciples, we gave each other a small nod, and they continued. Marga spoke briefly with them, and they began preparing their own carriage.

  When ours arrived, Sol boarded first, followed by Arisa and Marga. I got in last. Sol sat beside me, then lay down across my lap and quietly cried until she fell asleep. The return trip was completely silent. Everyone stared out the windows. With my left hand, I gently caressed Sol’s hair. Occasionally, I exchanged glances with the other girls, offering faint smiles out of courtesy.

  When we arrived at the Solar family’s castle, the girls got out first. I gently carried Sol to her room and laid her down. On the way, I passed her mother, who stayed behind to care for her daughter.

  In the guest room, Arisa and Marga were waiting for me, sipping something like tea to ease their nerves. I sat down across from them and took a sip from my own cup. The sweet flavor slid down my throat, refreshing my dry mouth.

  "Thank you for everything, girls." I thanked them for coming to find us and for the comfort they gave me when I needed it most. They were the support Sol needed in that critical moment. I felt like this experience would bring them even closer together.

  "You don’t need to thank us," Marga said, shaking her head. "Without you, we all might’ve died. The soldiers already had their hands full with their own front—they couldn’t have handled another group of monsters. The Baron wouldn’t have arrived in time." Her hands trembled slightly at the thought.

  "Marga’s right. You suffered the most—not just physically, but mentally too. It was hard for us to see you without an arm and with a pierced leg. Your eyes were empty when we found you." I could feel Arisa clench her fists within my domain. "Thank you for saving us, Maki. Thank you for always being there when we need you."

  I couldn’t help but think of all the possible scenarios if I had arrived just five minutes later. If I hadn’t shown up, I’d never have seen these people again. Realizing that after leaving the dungeon would’ve broken me.

  "Maki, my aunt Liza prepared a room for us. There’s a bed where you can rest and two comfy sofas where we can sit and talk." Arisa’s suggestion was perfect. My body hadn’t rested properly in days.

  "Arisa’s right. You need to lie down and let your body recover," Marga added. Encouraged, the three of us left the guest room and headed to the one prepared.

  I showered before lying down. My body had been covered in blood and grime. My clothes were shredded from all the attacks. I changed into something comfortable from my storage bracelet. When I came out, both girls had also changed and were sitting cross-legged on the bed.

  "Lie down," Arisa urged, insisting I rest. The room fell silent. It was hard to bring up any topic in this situation. I only felt their hands take mine, gently playing with my fingers.

  My eyes began to close slowly. My body, exhausted from the dungeon, surrendered to the need for sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I tried to move my arms—but couldn’t. Arisa and Marga had fallen deeply asleep, using my arms as pillows.

  I looked at them for a few seconds, and a small happiness bloomed in my heart. I closed my eyes slowly and drifted off once more. Tomorrow, I had to speak with the Baron to see if he had gathered any information. I also needed to spend as much time as possible with Sol—to share Lord Tork’s final words with his family.