Once Dungeon Master 09 finished his breakfast, I escorted him to my room to rest. As I finished introducing him to the room, I asked, "How's the bed feeling?"

  Allowing his body to roll on the bed, Dungeon Master 09 responded, "Far better than the carriage seat, and far, far better than the hard ground."

  "I know that feeling," I said, approaching and chuckling self-deprecatingly. Sitting at the side of the bed, I stared at Dungeon Master 09, who stared back at me, asking out of nowhere, "Say, Dungeon Master 08, what level are you now?"

  "Why do you ask so suddenly?"

  He shook his head, "For no reason, I was just curious."

  "I see... I'm level 27."

  Hearing this, Dungeon Master 09 mumbled, "You're already level 27. No wonder you were able to deflect his appraisal so easily."

  "That was... wait, how do you know he was about to appraise me?" I asked, taken aback.

  There were several reasons I could imagine Dungeon Master 09 knew he was attempting to appraise me, but it could be cut down to two highly likely possible reasons. One was that he was already familiar with the man's bad habit of appraising people, but that failed to explain how he knew I had deflected the skill before it could take effect. The other possibility was that he wielded a skill that allowed him to tell what happened earlier, in other words, a skill like Identification. Having leveled up [Identification] by two levels during my journey, bringing it to level 9, just one level away from the max level of the skill, I had gained since level 8 the ability to pick up on passive skills. The sub-skill of Identification displayed in a corner of one's eyes any skill or ability used in the vicinity, and I saw no such skill being used earlier.

  Dungeon Master 09 didn’t look surprised by my reaction, prompting him to calmly explain, "I have...I had an ability called Instinctual Insight."

  Understanding washed over me. The moment Dungeon Master 09 mentioned "Instinctual Insight," another subskill of my level 9 Identification skill activated, displaying an interface explaining what the ability does.

  [Identification Lvl.9]Description:

  『Expand』

  "Right now, I can tell you're using your Identification skill, and you're using another skill in parallel," Dungeon Master 09 observed, "though I can't tell what it is."

  "It's called Eagle Eye," I explained with a chuckle. "Without that skill passively active, I'm almost as blind as a bat. Thinking back, I was lucky to be born with this skill because otherwise, I don't know what I would have done." Reflecting on his previous statement, I probed, "Now, to get back to what you just told me, what do you mean by 'used to have'?"

  "Exactly what I mean," he replied. "I used to have this ability. It was the one I was born with in my first incarnation. But still, even though I lost it when I died in that incarnation, I somehow feel like it's still there."

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  "I see...."

  "Strange, right?" Dungeon Master 09 said.

  I nodded. "Yes, but I think you're not alone in it. I, too, in my first incarnation, had an ability that I can still feel the presence of to this day. That ability is called "perfect recall". It does exactly what the name suggests. It was one of those abilities that can be as much a curse as it can be a blessing."

  "I see… I wonder if Dungeon Master 10 also has an ability that stuck around even after the first incarnation."

  "From Dungeon Master 07's story, it's clear that it's not the case for him. So, Dungeon Master 10 is the last one who can confirm if it's a generality or not for all Dungeon Masters."

  "What happened to Dungeon Master 10? Didn't he make it?" Dungeon Master 09 asked.

  I shook my head, noting his expression darkening before slightly lightening up as he came to a slightly hopeful guess.

  Though it was a little depressing to take that hope from him, I nonetheless explained, "Unlike you, I don't think he'll make it. Dungeon Master 07 knows who he was in his previous life and..."

  "He died?" Dungeon Master 09 asked, looking depressed.

  I nodded. "As of now, I'd say he's about five years old, if not younger."

  "I see..." he said before adding with a self-deprecating chuckle, "He really won't make it, then. Sounds like he at least managed to make it at least once in the past seventy years. That's so far better than I ever did."

  Relating to his words on many levels, I said, "Don't beat yourself up over it. You made it, that's the important part."

  In that moment, Dungeon Master 09 whimpered, burying his head into a pillow. "At first, I really thought... that I didn't make it, again," he mustered between whimpers. "I was so relieved... happy to see you two."

  As he broke down into full-blown tears, I said, "I, too, was happy to see you." At first, I hesitated on how to comfort him, but then I reached out and gently caressed his head. "It's alright now, it's alright. We're together now."

  ***

  Sighing softly, I crept out of Dungeon Master 09's room, careful not to disturb the slumber he fell into. As I emerged into the hallway, I nearly ran straight into Dungeon Master 07.

  "Dungeon Master 07," I said, pretending to be surprised. "I thought you'd already be gone to the local temple," I remarked, letting out a hint of surprise in my voice.

  He raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his emerald eyes. "There's something we need to discuss before I leave," he said, his voice firm.

  I crossed my arms, a hint of sarcasm creeping into my voice. "And what exactly did you want to talk about?"

  He held my gaze, his expression unreadable. "I hope that you, like Dungeon Master 09, haven't forgotten why we're in Fiendfell."

  I bristled at the accusation. "Of course I haven't!"

  "Then you'll understand that we don't have time to spare indulging in a vendetta against some nobodies," he pressed. "Don't get me wrong, I understand the anger, and I can even relate to it. But I can't condone--"

  "I get it," I interrupted, cutting him off before he finished his lecture.

  His eyes narrowed, searching my face for anything that’ll betray me. "Do you truly?"

  "Yes, truly," I confirmed, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "Earlier, I admit, I did feel a surge of anger and a need for retribution. But I've had time to cool down and see the bigger picture."

  He didn't seem entirely convinced, the sternness still lingering in his expression. Sensing his doubt, I pressed on. " I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgment. It was a lapse in judgment, one that I won't repeat."

  A long moment of silence stretched between us before he finally seemed to accept my words. "Let's hope you're right about that," he muttered.

  "I'm telling you I am," I affirmed, my voice firm.

  His gaze shifted towards Dungeon Master 09's door. "As for Dungeon Master 09…"

  "What about him?!"

  He sighed, a heavy weight settling in his eyes. "Nothing," he said finally. "Just… I'm heading to the local temple. I leave him to you. Please, don't leave the Seagull's Nest until I get back."

  "Why?" I bristled, a touch of defiance sparking within me.

  "Do I have to say it?"

  "What kind of troublemakers do you take us for?"

  "The kind I think you are," he countered with a semi-humorless smile. "I'll be back this evening. You can have lunch, dinner, whatever you like without me, but be a good girl while I'm gone."

  With those parting words, he descended the stairs, leaving me alone in the hallway.

  "I already am a good girl, Grandpa," I muttered under my breath.