In one of Yavan's regions, birds soared high in the sky, fleeing in panic. The reason was the crashing of trees—something had fallen upon them with great force. Among the trees stood a young man with white hair and a leather armor, gripping a greatsword with a bluish-white blade. It was the fourth form of the Astral Sword: the Super Azure.
The sword's weight didn't change even in this form. All its forms shared the same weight—after all, it was a spirit weapon... Hah, what a gray morning. I don't know what I'm doing. What am I supposed to do? I've gone back to my usual state of being lost, stuck between so many choices.
If you do not appear, you will be considered expelled from Alis guild. That sentence kept echoing in my head since I read it. Fuck... I slashed out in rage, and another tree collapsed. That's seriously powerful.
I lay back against one of the trees I'd brought down, drained by confusion. Should I go or stay? But even if I go, how do I clear my name? Looks like I have to accept being expelled... Fuck, I wanted to become the number one adventurer, to reach the Platinum rank, but... well, I deserve this. I did something illegal after all.
I mocked this world. I thought its people were backward and wouldn't uncover the truth. But I was blind, careless... Anyone could expose me easily, even if only a few knew the truth. Dumb, did you forget? You're a Wyvern Slayer—how did you get that title without actually killing wyverns??
"Yo, Thalesa... I think my life as an adventurer is over."
"What do you mean? Just because you got kicked out of a guild?"
"..."
"Oh, right, I could just join another guild."
"No, no—you forgot about the Dark Eye."
What a terrible feeling. It really is. I never expected this to happen. I was blind—blinded by money. Killing and selling without thinking of the consequences. I thought I'd grown out of those reckless teenage tendencies, but they still cling to me... and to my life.
"You're overreacting. You don't need a guild, idiot. Even Gaziel was a free adventurer, and he was considered the strongest in the kingdom, not just in that town, Iveleth."
"A free adventurer... Are they even officially recognized? Didn't the guilds bury that term to market themselves? I mean, if they refuse to acknowledge free adventurers, people would favor the guilds instead."
"Amazing... Your logic actually makes a lot of sense—it could very well be the truth. I don't have any info on it, but I don't think they completely ignore free adventurers. Most of them are strong."
"What about the Dark Eye? I think he might target me."
"No, they only go after adventurers from other guilds."
I hope I don't regret this decision. It's one of the most important I've ever made. And if I continue down the path of a free adventurer, I'll face many difficult choices. The future won't spare me anymore. So what do I do? Leave the guild? Become a free adventurer? I should ask Maris...
No, no! This is my decision. I have to make it on my own. No one else should interfere... But... I don't want to. I don't want to leave Alis. I don't want to be a free adventurer. That makes me feel incredibly lonely... Grell and the others, Ponier, Etomi—all the adventurers I've known... I don't want to be separated from them, stuck in a category all on my own called "free adventurer."
"Don't you think you'd be a special kind of adventurer? And besides, idiot, how can you hate being a free adventurer when you don't even take on quests? You can keep killing wyverns like always, but this time with no restrictions!" Thalesa suddenly said after a long silence.
"Special? Thalesa... I... I don't want to be special."
"..."
After that, the spirit said nothing, and a long silence spread between us. It made me reflect on my decision with no interference. I think I've been fooling myself into thinking I have multiple options, but in truth... there's only one. I have to become a free adventurer. Yes, that's the only choice I have now.
◆ ◆ ◆
In the village of Bloomy, Laos was walking in his gear. It looked like he had just returned from somewhere. His expression was serious this time—cold, even—as if he had just made a bold decision. Something that would change him. And perhaps... something that already had. As he walked past the dryads and adventurers, Ponier suddenly appeared in front of him.
"So what did you do? Are you coming back?" the foxen asked.
"How could I convince them?"
"Just try your luck. At least you'll have a chance to stay. Leaving the guild should be the last resort."
"Actually, I've thought about it... Ponier, I want to become a free adventurer," Laos said, looking up.
"A final decision?"
"I don't know... But it seems right. I could trade with Bloomy more freely, and I'd get rid of the guild's restrictions. It'd be a decision with some freedom."
"But you're still trading illegally. Did you forget? You need a merchant license, and someone could report you to the knights. Then your life would end in prison as a rogue trader. You're acting like a total idiot."
"Then I'll get a license. It's easy. It's not like being an adventurer in Alis, where you're not even allowed to have one. I think I've made my decision. I'll become a free adventurer."
"A free adventurer? There are good examples out there... but are you sure you'll make it in that world? I mean, with how clueless you are, it's obvious you have no idea how hard it is to live as a free adventurer. That's why people prefer joining guilds—to avoid those insane difficulties," Ponier replied.
They stood facing each other, eye to eye. Each had his own thoughts. Each had his own hopes. Each had his own dreams and desires guiding him. But it seemed the foxen wasn't done—he wanted to change the white-haired man's mind. And it looked like this conversation was going to be more serious than either of them expected.
"So, there are difficulties... I know, I know. It's obvious. But I think it'd still be easier for me than staying in a guild."
"You won't be convinced... Follow me," Ponier muttered as he turned to walk away.
They headed toward one of Bloomy's quieter areas, where only a few adventurers were heading out on their quests. This time, with a more serious expression, Ponier looked into Laos' green eyes and asked: "Who are you?"
"What do you mean, 'Who are you'?!"
"You're not the Dark Eye, right?"
"What the...???"
"How could I be him in your eyes? Don't you remember when he killed that girl in the southern dungeon and I was with Grell??! It's impossible for it to be me!" Laos shouted.
"But why are you hiding everything from me, even though we're in the same party?"
"What?"
"You dumb, your sword… that's not an enchanted sword. It's one of the seven Spirit Weapons. Its changing form, the way it launches attacks without even saying any midspell… do you think I'm that ignorant?"
"…"
"Your aura—your aura is way too strong. It's impossible for a simple adventurer like you. You've hidden too much from me, so I have the right to be suspicious."
"First of all, I can't be the Dark Eye. Second, I kept this secret for a very important reason... Ponier, don't tell anyone what I'm about to say."
"Go on."
Laos had a strong desire to at least keep one person by his side—and that was Ponier. So he never even considered keeping any secrets. All he wanted was to express the thoughts buried deep inside him, thoughts he hadn't even fully realized yet. Please, don't leave me alone.
"Have you heard about the heroes summoned by the Moon Goddess, Lunariss?" Laos asked.
"Yeah, the ones who helped the kingdom achieve great victories."
"Well… I'm one of them."
"One of them?! What?! How?! And why are you here??!!"
A deep fear crept into Ponier, and he even began trembling a little. This was the first time Ponier had ever been this afraid. The idea that entered his mind now could destroy his life completely—an idea he'd always feared: that Laos might be a spy. And after hearing this confession, that idea seemed dangerously close to becoming reality.
"The truth is… out of all of them, I was the only one who got a job that had nothing to do with battlefield combat. I worked as a servant in the princess' palace. That's where I found the Astral Sword—a spirit weapon that Gaziel had hidden in some ruins near the palace. After that, I got sick of working there, so Maris and I ran away and came to Iveleth to become adventurers and live our lives."
"And to avoid being exposed, we forged our identities and said we were adventurers from Pascal."
"…"
"It's hard to believe all that… but I will. I'll believe you, Laos. Now tell me—what's your decision? Will you go back to the guild or not?"
"Will I go back to the guild? I don't know… I don't know what I should do," Laos replied weakly.
"I hate your answers… 'I don't know'? What does that even mean? How many times have I told you that you're the only one who should know? There's no such thing as 'I don't know' when it comes to personal decisions. If you don't have an answer, then you're just a mindless entity—someone who doesn't even exist! Answer me, and answer yourself. Will you become a free adventurer??!"
At that moment, both of them fell silent. It seemed Laos was thinking—thinking of the answer he had to find for himself. Should he return to the guild and endure a long investigation, or stop wasting time and accept being expelled, becoming a free adventurer instead? This time, the NPC thought in an extraordinary way—calmly and for a long while. He was finally able to discover his own answer.
At that moment, the Astral Sword vanished, and Laos' hair returned to black. Then, with his green eyes, he looked at Ponier, who stood in front of him, waiting for an answer—an answer that he, too, had contributed to. An answer that would determine the future of this duo—this party.
"Ponier… I've decided. I'm going to become a free adventurer," Laos answered seriously.
"Awesome," Ponier muttered, placing his hand on Laos' shoulder.
"Then, goodbye," the foxen whispered into the young man's ear as he stepped forward.
Ponier walked away from Laos, and neither of them turned back to look at the other. He kept moving forward, leaving the black-haired boy behind—alone with his decision. Then he smiled widely and muttered: "By the way, you look better with white hair."
It was a painful moment for Laos. Losing a party member—his only party member—was hard. But not just that. From the moment Laos arrived in Iveleth, Ponier held a special place in his heart. He was the same person who helped him when he was in desperate need. The one who paid off his debt. The one who welcomed him. The one who formed a party with him even though he was just a failed adventurer.
"Ponier… thank you! Thank you for everything! Thank you for standing by my side in a world I don't even know!!" Laos suddenly shouted toward the foxen as he walked away.
And just like that, the relationship ended. The relationship between a teenager from another world and a foxen from another world. A relationship built only to be torn apart by a decision made by an NPC. Was that decision really worth ending this bond? A bond that gave the NPC hopes and dreams. A bond that opened his eyes to things he had never seen before. A bond that changed him as a person from another world. Was the decision truly worth ending all of that? That was the question going through Laos' mind at the moment.
"Thalesa… looks like I'm alone again," Laos murmured with a faint smile.
"Alone? What are you talking about? You've got a wife, a village that sees you as a hero, and m…" the spirit replied loudly, as if scolding him.
"And what? You were about to say 'and me,' right?"
"Y-Yes… and me. Don't forget I'm the weapon that brought you this far. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have achieved any of this. In other words, without me, you would be truly alone."
"So… do you think I'll succeed as a free adventurer?"
"Let me ask you that… do you think you'll succeed as a free adventurer?"
"Yes. I will succeed."