Forward

When he entered the room, he first saw Hornet sleeping peacefully in the middle of a large bed surrounded by white curtains and various pearl-colored equipment. Aside from one eye and a fair bit of her hair, her head and entire body were covered in bandages. Two metallic stands were by her bedside, supporting various bags of fluids connected by transparent tubes to her wrist. There were also two buckets of water on the floor by her feet. One of them contained clear water, while the other had reddened from the blood wiped off by a rag that dangled on its edge.

To the side was her armor, piled messily into a heap over a black film. Because it had been completely destroyed, it was definitely going to be scrapped later on… which was a shame because it was obviously the masterwork of a renowned blacksmith.

A strange, slow, rhythmic beeping blended with the serene atmosphere in the room, which somehow made the silent, brightly-lit room even more peaceful.

It was as if she was dead. Seeing her in that state contrasted wildly with his impression of her as a powerful, mountain-like existence that no storm could fall.

"Damn," he muttered. What kind of ordeals did Hornet face to get beaten so thoroughly? Or maybe it was because she had rushed it in just a day when they had meant to do so over what may have been weeks?

All of that for a mere fifty-odd thousand rons.

Over on the side, Rain spotted Hornet's weapon, the massive, three-bladed lance that could spit fire. It, too, looked severely damaged, but at least it still seemed to be repairable… But why was it also covered in bandages?

Curiosity got the better of him, and he reached out to touch it. The surface was strangely warm despite the cool air. It was then that he also noticed that the lance was still attached to Hornet by the same snake-like appendage on her lower back. That was the first time he's seen it up close. The surface was similar to leather but also stretched and undulated as her chest rose with her breathing.

"Is it connected to her body?"

Rain turned to the lance again. The part on the handle where it connected to the appendage was seamless.

"Mmm…"

Then, he heard Hornet groan. Her eyelids shuddered, and her body shifted slightly. Rain panicked, wondering if he was allowed to be there. He watched as she threw her unbound hand to her side, clumsily stretching toward a table that was too far to reach before dropping lifelessly over the bed. And just like that, she released a frustrated sigh and settled down.

"That was close," he muttered to himself. At that point, Rain thought that leaving was the best idea. If anybody saw him in a girl's room, even though it was supposed to be a clinic, there were bound to be misunderstandings. But before that, he approached her side and carefully tucked her arm back onto the bed.

Despite having the strength to lift that unreasonably-designed weapon of hers, Hornet's arm was soft to the touch… or maybe it was just the bandages.

Just as he was about to leave, the table caught his eye. It was the same one Hornet tried to reach for. At first, he didn't notice what was on it because it had been hidden behind a white curtain that partitioned the room. It had a pot full of colorful flowers and a thick book. A card tied to the biggest flower read "Get well soon!" and was signed by over a dozen people, most of whom Rain had never heard of.

Rain smiled at the gift. It was nice to know that a lot of people cared about her.

What was even more interesting was the book. It had quite a peculiar title; "Legends and Heroes from Another World vol. 1," it said. The author was "Elaine Kirika Dawn," a name that was even more surprising and curious.

Commoners only had one name, and the nobility had two. As far as Rain knew, only the royalty could have three. Yet, he didn't know any royal family with that name. It was just an alias, perhaps?

The book looked relatively new, with bright pigments used for the cover and the decorative lines bordering it. However, it also showed severe signs of overuse, such as the many creases on its spine and the wrinkled pages apparent from its sides. Finally, at the bottom, Hornet's name was scribbled messily with gray ink.

Despite knowing better, Rain couldn't help but give in to the temptation, so he took the book and read it.

It… wasn't just a book. Each page had a series of pictures drawn on it. Together with the lines of dialogue beside each character, it created a story shown by words and images. The subjects also weren't something he usually came across. While bards regularly sang about heroes in their drunken episodes at taverns, they usually embellished the details to make them seem like the perfect beings, defeating hordes of demons with one swing of their sword and sleeping on top of the clouds... But at the same time, that made them unrelatable and inhuman. On the other hand, the "heroes" in Hornet's book also lived everyday lives... despite wearing strange clothing. They struggled with their relationships and suffered from their friends' tragic deaths… yet fought through those and used their gifts to help others in need.

Hornet obviously treasured the book and learned from it extensively. Practically every other page had notes in the same handwriting as her name, commenting on the scenes and praising the actions and decisions of the characters. And one line, in particular, stood out.

"A hero cannot fail."

She had taken the liberty of making sure it was the most critical comment in the book and even encircled it in bright red ink at the cost of ruining the rest of the page.

In a way, that phrase summed up everything Hornet had done, even to the point where she pushed herself to the brink to ensure that everybody came out winners.

–Rain wished that he had that kind of conviction. Then again, thanks to everybody's consideration, nobody was left out devoid of any spoils. Rex had saved her people, Stain could complete the mission, Snow could get her money, Rain got their curses lifted… and Hornet became his hero.

"Damn."

Did he feel bad? No. It was the best kind of outcome anybody could ask for. Again, he wasn't about to let the guilt of sacrificing the villagers haunt him for life. Though their homes may have burned to the ground, as long as they were alive, then they could recover. And though Hornet may have been hurt, none of them implied that her injuries were life-threatening.

But somehow… he felt doubtful. Maybe, just maybe, there could have been a better result? One where the villagers and their homes were safe? Where the commission had been a resounding success? A future where they earned an outrageous amount of money and still have had their curses lifted?

Perhaps.

Rain placed the book back on the table. He had stood there for over three hours, pondering. When he realized it, the crystal had already been turned off, signaling the night's start.

He turned to Hornet. Her face was still barely visible from the low amount of light that came from the nearby residences. And she was smiling–proudly.

Rain realized what he had to do.

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

"Ugh… where are we going?"

Snow complained as she rubbed the sand off her eyes. Still wearing her sleeping robe, Rain had pulled her out of bed and convinced her to follow him. Fortunately, she was already somewhat awake after sleeping in for the entire afternoon.

"We're going to see Coin."

"Huh? At this unholy hour?!"

She's right. Nobody in their right mind would look to talk with such a bigwig after the sun had already set. But Rain had a feeling that she was available…

Sure enough, they learned from one of the sentries that Coin was still inside the main mansion. And as they passed through the halls, no guards stopped them from proceeding toward the owner's office. Soon, only a door stood between them, and the person Rain sought. He felt Snow tug at his sleeve weakly.

"What are we doing here?" she asked apprehensively. The sleepiness in her expression had already gone and replaced with confusion and anxiety. But to that, Rain had to be honest with her. He had decided for both of them without her permission or input, so that was the least he should do.

"Have you ever thought about what we'll do after all this?"

Snow tilted her head.

"Aren't we going to buy land somewhere and live there?"

That was her dream. But it was made considering that her life would end faster than his.

"But we're safe now. There's no need to hide. We could live better lives than hiding ourselves in some dark, lonely corner while hoping the rust doesn't fall on our heads."

"... That's–"

She hesitated. Of course, she would. Her primary motivation to seek so much money suddenly disappeared. Perhaps after a while, she would realize that it happened even before that moment.

"I've got an idea, though," he elaborated after Snow's prolonged pause. "Have you ever thought about continuing our mercenary work?"

"... What for? We don't have to worry about money anymore."

That was a good point. However, that wasn't why Rain suggested it.

"True. But do you just want to idle for a few decades?"

"Hmm…"

"Don't you want to get even richer?"

"Well, duh!"

Easy. Rain stopped himself from chuckling.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Snow asked, already looking quite eager at the mention of money.

He prepared himself. It was an absurd idea, even for himself. But they did have a chance.

After all, why would a group secretive enough to hide underground be willing to share so much information with a couple of strangers? They even went so far as to spread, or at least allow, rumors about their existence. There was only one reason, at least as far as Rain could imagine.

"They're going to announce themselves to the public. So, let's beat everyone to the punch." He grabbed Snow's shoulders and pulled her closer. "Let's make our own faction and hire their heroes as members."

""... Hah?!""

Shock and utter confusion. It was terrific to see Snow's face twist so much.

... And for some reason, Coin also had the same baffled expression through the opened door.