A Hero Can Do It

After an uneventful journey back to the secret cave, they arrived to find the place bustling with life. Since they left Telerne relatively late, the group had to spend a night outside before finally arriving past the middle of the day after.

Unlike when Rain and Snow first set foot in the place, the crystal on the ceiling was fully lit and emanated a bright yet gentle light to illuminate the entirety of the gigantic main chamber. Dozens of individuals, monstrous and otherwise, filed about with a semblance of daily life similar to human cities. However, unlike human cities, everybody displayed a noticeable liveliness as they went about their daily toils, even when they had to work side by side with those that would typically tear them apart above ground.

Despite their impressive first impression of the place, both mercenaries almost forgot what it was like there.

"Welcome back!"

They were greeted amicably by Bunny, who had been patiently waiting for them at the tunnel's exit. The group exchanged a series of short greetings and, after they left the carriage in the care of a dark elf working at the stables, left toward their destination.

Since they weren't led to the giant mansion at the main chamber but instead to a much farther location, Rain and Snow could catch a small glimpse of a great many facilities that had been established there. And there really was a lot. From smitheries to training grounds, workshops to restaurants, there was even a seedy bar and a school; it was like they had managed to fit a small city, complete with entire residential districts for what seemed like several hundred people, into the confines of an extensive network of caverns.

Each chamber was lit by a massive glowstone the size of a small house to replace the sun. These were obviously costly, judging from how Snow flapped her mouth like a fish out of water. The buildings weren't haphazardly built due to their location, either. None of them were made with the intention of being simple temporary structures but rather with the permanence of proper brick and stone.

And, like the main chamber, life was also bustling everywhere else. Endless streams of various races passed each other, busy with one thing or another. As they did, greetings between them were exchanged jovially, even to and from the many monsters that toiled like everyone else.

"I still can't believe it," Snow remarked. "I only thought it possible because there are intelligent monsters, but for them to live like this is…."

Perhaps the scene at the basement "casino" was still a point of doubt for them, but witnessing such a harmonious precedent relieved them of much of their disbelief.

"But why is it that…."

She cut herself off, probably fearing becoming self-conscious about it by putting it into words. But Rain clearly knew what she meant.

Why was it that, even with the peaceful and happy atmosphere amongst the populace, they would frown in contempt whenever they looked at their group?

"It's because those two failed."

Bunny suddenly appeared between the two and caused them to jump in fright. Initially, she had been at the head of the group, and both Rain and Snow had been quite far back to avoid the stares, but she was able to cut the distance without disturbing the air. Was that part of her heroic repertoire?

"This was our debut commission to the public, so we assigned you the best hero pair and guide we have… But these two screwed it up in the end. You know nasty rumors fly faster than good ones, right? So not many people understand that the failure was because they… I mean, you guys had to save a village.

"I don't think that would matter, though," she added toward the end.

The area past the residential chamber was a military checkpoint. It was armed to the teeth and fully manned by mostly dark elves and, shockingly, high-ranked beast-type monsters such as fenrirs. In fact, it looked like even the wall was a monster – a golem by the looks of it.

"This is just one kind of checkpoint. There are many others, and they're manned by different monsters," Bunny kindly explained.

They were instantly allowed passage through the area, despite the belligerent looks of the soldiers there. Like Bunny said, their "failure" influenced everybody quite a bit. Even though Rain and Snow weren't the targets of their aggression, they still felt chills from it just by being in the same general direction.

What kind of average human could stay calm while being glared at by a fenrir, a monster that could single-handedly destroy a city?

Flanked by two columns of dark-elven soldiers as "escorts," the group continued their walk. They passed through a well-maintained corridor lined with glowstones at the ceiling and various trees and bushes on both sides until the path opened into a rather humble-sized chamber.

The most eye-catching thing there was a small house built at the center, with unpainted stone walls and a roof made of some kind of layered ceramic. Besides that, there was nothing remarkable to note. It was the kind of house that was commonplace in the residential areas of affluent towns.

A table surrounded by six chairs and scattered children's toys was on the front lawn, which gave the impression that a family inhabited the place. There was an empty hammock between two trees to the side and several laundry racks half-full of dripping-wet clothes beside it.

Other than those things, there was nothing else there. The chamber was quite bare and even lacked the decorative plants that were present everywhere else.

Considering the military checkpoint before it, Rain could only imagine that it was a kind of isolation cell meant for important captives… which was baffling. Weren't they supposed to–

"Oh? You're all back?"

Somebody came out from behind the house. Everybody, excluding Rain and Snow, immediately dropped to their knees in response to her voice.

It was Coin, the master of the orthodox heroes.

"Sorry, can you wait for a bit? I need to hang these up."

She was holding two large baskets filled with white clothing on each arm. Drops of water fell off her dirty and damp dress, and sweat covered her skin like a glossy film. Even from afar, Rain could tell that her fingers were already quite pruney.

Was she doing laundry?

"I'll help!"

Bunny leaped into action and took one basket off Coin's hands. Everybody else voiced their acknowledgment but kept their kneeling position all the while. Conscious of their situation, Rain and Snow followed suit and tried to kneel until Coin called them out to stop it.

"Dear clients. There's no need to kneel. Have a seat at the table, and I'll have someone bring snacks."

********************

"Please enjoy."

A dark elf with peculiar clothing and questionable gender came out of the house and served the two a plate of freshly-baked pastries and a pitcher of fruit juice. Like back then, it was delicious. They seem to emphasize quality with everything from the buildings and livelihood to food and entertainment. Sensing the massive amount of money behind everything, Snow had gleaming eyes as she bit on a delicate meat bun.

By then, Coin had already finished hanging her laundry and was changing into a clean set of clothes. Only the dark elf and Bunny were there to accompany them.

"You look like you wanna ask something," the latter teased. "Don't be shy. Ask away."

Rain recalled Snow's words the day before. The more time passed, the more he felt she had a point. They were obviously feeding them information. But for what, exactly? Was that just their policy? Or was it something everybody was proud to share?

"Uhh… Coin does her laundry?"

Rain's mind failed him then, causing him to ask a pretty dumb question. It wasn't without any intention, though. Coin was obviously highly influential, with many servants and subordinates, not to mention money. She was like one of the nobility in that regard. That was why he was surprised to see her wearing a commoner's garb, doing laundry herself.

"I dunno," Bunny replied as she shrugged. "Master insists on doing it. I tried doing it for her many times, but she would always scold me–"

"Because you're an idiot."

The dark elf suddenly interjected with a stern look.

"She told you that you shouldn't mix the white garments with the colored ones, right? Yet you still mess up such a simple thing."

"Isn't it easier that way? It's also a waste of water."

"But it's not the right way. Idiot."

The two started arguing over a simple matter. In a way, that interaction told Rain one thing; the dark elf had a position equivalent to Bunny, who was relatively high-ranking herself.

"You said it's a waste? I don't get it," Snow asked, completely ignoring the cordial tension that had developed.

"Oh, you mean the water?"

Bunny, in a desperate effort to escape from her peer's verbal abuse, turned away from the latter to address Snow.

"That stuff's important, you know? Might not seem like it now, but with more and more rivers getting corroded, it won't be long until even washing your face becomes a luxury."

"Idiot. That doesn't mean you could–"

"Not listening!"

"Oh? You sure?"

The blood drained from Bunny's face. Slowly, she rotated her head with the same grace as an old, broken waterwheel and saw Coin looking down at her with a mischievous grin. The latter had accurately imitated the dark elf's voice and fooled her.

Slack-jawed, Bunny mouthed strange sounds until her cheeks dyed deep red. It looked like she was about to faint in shame. Poor fellow.

Coin sat on Bunny's seat as the latter vacated it for her master. She then called for everybody involved to the table. When Rex and Stain came over, they immediately tried to kneel at her feet. But they were stopped by Bunny, who pulled on their collars right before their knees touched the ground.

"Come on. We're all friends here. Use the chairs," Coin said with a smile. Yet instead of feeling relief from their master's expression, the two heroes somewhat paled up.

"But…"

Rex, in particular, looked to be in a state of panic. It was amazing to think that the ruler of the most powerful empire in the continent could be reduced to such a state by a simple invitation to a table.

"Are you really going to make the Master repeat herself?"

The dark elf sharply rebuked them. Her words turned their already pale complexions to become ashen as they mechanically pulled a chair for themselves.

When everybody had taken their seats, besides Bunny and the dark elf who stood behind each of Coin's sides to attend to her, the latter immediately went down to business.

"Since Delphy just returned from work, you should tell the story again. From the top."

Coin gestured to the dark elf and–

"Oh! Sorry! I haven't introduced her yet to you two," she exclaimed in realization. "This here is Delphinium. She's… he's…"

"It doesn't matter, Master."

"... Anyway! He's also my close aide, like Bunny. You can rely on her if you need anything sketchy to be done."

"... Nice to meet you."

Was that an introduction? And does Coin not know if her direct subordinate is a boy or a girl? Or did that mean something else? And what the hell does "if you need anything sketchy to be done" mean? It looked like even the person him/herself wasn't completely satisfied with how he/she was introduced, but regardless, Delphinium bowed to acknowledge the two respectfully.

Rain did not fail to notice one detail when he did. Underneath the collar was a slavery crest around his lower neck, near his shoulder blades.

He was a slave.

With that out of the way, the two white-faced heroes started to explain everything that had happened again. While they were doing so, Snow nudged him under the table.

"See what I mean?" she whispered. "They're telling us too much."

Rain nodded. What was it they were trying to achieve, exactly?

The two listened to a retelling of the story from two different points of view. Rex's side was more political, as was expected of her, while Stain talked more about the events that happened as a consequence. It was worthy to note that none of them knew about the other night when Hornet accompanied Rain over a few rounds of alcohol. Apparently, they weren't informed of it by their companion, but for Rain, it was an event that he felt indebted to her for.

After they finished, Delphinium had an unpleasant expression on his face. It looked like he had something to say but refrained from doing so. Only when Coin asked for his opinion that he allow himself to state the obvious.

"Are you two imbeciles?"

He opened his statement with an insult.

"Why didn't you just bait them away or something? Wouldn't have cost you more than four coins."

"That's too risky. What if–"

"Your compromise is leveling the land. How much time will it take for the village to recover? They'll have to build everything back up again. I know you don't want anybody to get hurt, but that's not an excuse to make a stupid decision."

"I will not risk Hornet over this."

"You honestly think she, of all people here, could lose to a bunch of weak, mindless corroded? Is your brain covered in rust, too? Shall I scrub it clean for you? Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

"...."

Wow. That was someone Rain didn't want to be on the wrong side of. Stain had also stopped responding, either to avoid escalating the situation or because he realized Delphinium had a point.

"And you. Tyrant," he continued. "What the hell were you doing? You're the guide. You weren't there–"

"Now, now, don't fight," Coin interrupted the two with an awkward face. Obediently, Delphinium stood down even though he looked to have been ready to unleash a long string of words otherwise. "I just asked for your opinion, not for you to pick on them... But, you guys, Delphy is right. No matter what happened, you two still failed. This assignment is essentially over unless you can find a team to borrow tokens from."

""We apologize.""

Stain and Rex bowed so low their foreheads rubbed against the table's surface. However, Coin ignored them and turned to her clients, who were wearing varied expressions of confusion, pity, and anticipation.

"Dear clients," she started while eyeing the two intently. "Do you want to do anything to these two? That could be both your compensation and their punishment."

She nonchalantly suggested an outrageous thing with a smile on her face.

"Wha...?"

What was she suggesting? First, it was insane to even think about punishing a nation's sovereign. On the other hand, what could they even do to a hero who could destroy more than a dozen corroded in an instant? But they had a feeling that those two would endure anything they would be subjected to as long as Coin, their "master," ordered them to. And that put everybody in a peculiar position.

Coin didn't seem like a ruthless leader. It may just be her way of showing sincerity to them, their "clients." Maybe she would refuse if they suggested something extreme.

Snow nudged him. He turned to see her look at him with discomfort. They already weren't seeking any kind of compensation as Rex's insane monetary offer was still valid.

So should they do anything?

"Why are you hesitating?" Coin asked, taking their prolonged silence as a hint. "There's no need. I'm sure they prepared themselves when they realized they couldn't complete the commission."

In some way, he was also responsible for their failure. After all, he was the one who made the decision. The same went for Snow. Perhaps that was why they felt so uninclined to decide.

"Can we refuse?" Rain finally spoke out.

He explained why to the surprised group, which for some reason also included both Rex and Stain. And after hearing his piece, Coin laughed cheerfully in understanding.

"You have a point. And, I guess you mercenaries really put a lot of importance on money, huh?"

"Not really…"

Though, the amount Rex offered undoubtedly wasn't by any means small.

"I understand," Coin said as she raised her hands. "But the money's between you and Rex. I, as their head, still need to give you something in exchange. Yeah? The failure of these two is also mine."

It was then that Rain noticed something strange. At first, he didn't think much of it, considering only they were present the entire time.

But why did she not include Hornet? Wasn't she also part of the group? She was Stain's partner and the one who consumed most of their resources. Was it because she was the only one adamant about completing their objective regardless of their situation? Or was it only just because she wasn't there at that moment?

"Hmm?"

The confusion in Coin's voice sounded genuine as he related his doubts.

"Did I ever say the commission itself was a failure?"

Everything made less sense.

"What do you–"

He was interrupted by Bunny raising her hand to gesture to him to be quiet. Her eyes were trained on the tunnel where the two rows of soldiers were still kneeling. Nothing was there. But everybody paid attention.

"She's here," she said without any further explanation.

From the tunnel came a dark elf soldier, jogging with a calm urgency. She passed her fellows and went straight to Coin before kneeling.

"Report! Miss Hornet has returned.

"She's gravely injured. We tried to lead her to the clinic, but she insisted on coming here first."

"Is she behind you?"

"Yes. She'll be here shortly."

Hornet was "gravely injured?" Rain somehow couldn't believe it. What kind of monster could even touch somebody who could destroy an entire landscape single-handedly?

But it looked like Stain had a different impression. He seemed genuinely distressed.

After a few moments, a figure appeared from the tunnel, moving slowly while being supported from both sides by footmen. By then, everybody already knew who it was.

"Hornet!"

Stain ran toward his partner in panic. Everybody else followed behind him.

Hornet looked… Rain couldn't find a word to describe her state. There were deep cuts, bruises, and burns on every part of her body, and a hole had even been gouged into her side. The plate armor she wore had almost been completely destroyed, leaving only small, fractured pieces that had pierced the skin on her chest and forearms. Blood trailed on the ground along with her lance as her mangled body was carried onward. Even her precious gourd had been destroyed, with only the neck still attached to her waist.

Fortunately, she was still alive.

"Not too late… am I?" she slowly said, straining her facial muscles to show a smile. But that only served to open the deep gash on her eye from which a clear liquid flowed.

Stain bid her not to talk anymore and held her hand gently. She ignored him and turned her one healthy eye to Rain and said;

"You should have... seen me... fight... That was awesome."

It was the first time they heard her talk soberly. The way she said those words in a distressingly weak voice but with a full-faced smile really served to increase Rain and Snow's awe and respect for her by leaps and bounds.

"This girl used two fewer tokens than she needed to when she used Ruin," Coin explained. She knelt by Hornet's head and cradled it like a precious piece of art. "After that, she ran to the well, used one to contact us and see where she needed to go, and then used the last to get there as fast as possible. Everything else should be injuries from whatever things she fought there."

"Two...?! But why didn't you tell us?"

"Because she wouldn't want you to know."

"...."

Stain couldn't believe what he was hearing. His face contorted in ways that showed his utter disbelief and shock. But Coin merely shrugged him off and focused her attention on Hornet, who struggled to breathe as the bones on her ribs made horrifying sounds.

"No problem..." Hornet wheezed. Then, she looked to Rain with a single glassy eye and said;

"Right pouch… on my waist. Sorry… can't move my arms."

Rain, also in a state of panic, took a moment to realize that she meant for him to get something from her pocket. Was it a potion? Holding that thought in mind, he cautiously fumbled around her ruined clothing and finally found it. Unlike everything else, that small pouch looked immaculate, though quite bloodied. As everything else on her was tattered and destroyed, finding one thing that had suffered no damage meant she must have protected it with everything she had.

Inside, it was a gem. It shone in a dull, red color, appearing like a plain piece of ornamental rock. But something Rain convinced him that what he was holding was nothing ordinary.

Slack-jawed and shocked into silence, he looked toward Hornet.

She had the biggest smile that Rain had ever seen her make.

"Told you… A hero can do it…."

It was the Purging Stone.