Cause and Effect

Time passed in a blur.

Due to the fact that I gave Ian a brand new weapon and the fact that he was enlightened to the possibilities that could be done through transmutation and mana control, he basically holed himself up in the basement of our building and delved into magical research.

As for Flone and I, since we grabbed everything in her tomb on the way back, there wasn't any worry about magical accessories or items. In fact, considering my synthesis, it wouldn't be necessary to even work if we didn't want to. But staying inside all the time wasn't good, and I wanted to practice my swordsmanship too.

To pass the time, Flone and I went out on escort missions together, working as Warriors. Well, me as a Warrior and her as my trusty partner. After teaching her a bit, she managed to pick up swordplay with the sword and shield left at her tomb, so we were good and that front.

Mostly, we took courier jobs and guard duty. Though, it ended up being most people trying to hit on Flone and/or myself... Thankfully, I managed to defuse those situations ahead of time.

But around a month passed since the time Ian joined my party and we returned to Haramark. There, one day, Flone and I returned back from our missions in time to see a group of people hanging around the third floor of Carpe Diem's building.

"Hm? Jihu, there's a lot of people there!" Flone pointed towards Carpe Diem.

I frowned and nodded. "That's odd..."

As famous as Carpe Diem was, they weren't a team that usually had a lot of guests. And more than that, the group there were fairly strong, averaging around level 4. Not only that, but they were apparently from the Sicilia family.

My frown deepened, but since there weren't any colors, I decided to ignore it and walk back to our building. But as Flone and I entered...

"Oh? So you two are back already, huh?"

...Ian walked out.

I blinked and then paused when I noticed his get up.

Usually, since he just did his research in the basement, the guy wore loose robes and pajamas. Not only that, but his hair was usually a frazzled mess, looking like a mad scientist.

But today he looked suave, wearing a tidy black robe with golden trimming and the rapier I made for him at his left side.

"I was just planning on calling you, actually."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Not something wrong per se, but... Well, there was a request for me to join a mission. Mm... Well, you'll find out more when we get there." Ian shut the door behind him and made his way towards the Carpe Diem building.

Flone hesitated when seeing that. "Jihu? Should I... stay back?"

I shook my head and said, "Just follow close behind me. If anyone says anything about you, I'll deal with it."

"Un!" Flone smiled and stuck close to me.

Seeing that, Ian shook his head and said, "She really likes playing coy, huh? Ahem."

Coincidentally, as we approached the building, Chohong did as well. She looked in shock at the presence of the men, but then she noticed us. "Seol? Master Ian? What are you two doing here?" She glanced to the men and said, "Do you know what's going on?"

Ian nodded. "A bit. But let us enter first before discussing anything." Adjusting his robe, he stepped past her, taking the lead.

I followed after him, closely pursued by Flone.

Finally, Chohong took up the rear, though clearly confused.

"Gentlemen." Ian nodded at the men.

The group glanced at us, and then parted without another word.

And then we entered the room.

It was an office, and a small one at that. But what little space was available was even more cramped due to the people inside.

Three people were sitting on the couches inside. Two, sitting on one couch, were Dylan and Hugo. Across from them, on the other couch, was a lone woman, attended to by six people standing stiffly behind her.

"Hoh?" The woman turned her head to look at us. Her thick coat shifted as she moved, while her long crimson hair rippled in waves. Her eyes, a sharp bloody hue, flicked towards Ian, then me and Flone before settling on Chohong. "I was expecting Chohong to arrive first, but to think that Master Ian and the famed Dark Knight and Silver Maiden would arrive as well."

"Dark Knight and Silver Maiden?" I frowned.

Cinzia laughed, but didn't respond.

Chohong walked forward and then fearlessly took a seat beside Cinzia. "What brings you here, Noonim?" She paused and then turned back to look at us. "And you as well, Master Ian?"

Ian smirked and looked at me. "Looks like you're just chopped liver now, Jihu. Didn't I tell you that hanging around Miss Flone so much would ruin your chances with other women?"

"Ha, ha."

Chohong narrowed her eyes. "Can't you be serious for once?!"

Ian shrugged. "A bit of levity goes a long way. As for our business here..." He glanced to Dylan and Hugo and said, "I presume negotiations on this side is already concluded?"

Cinzia nodded. "We've already discussed it... Actually, we were planning to head over to your building next." She turned her gaze to Chohong. "And sorry, you aren't invited this time."

"What? Why not?" Chohong stood up.

"Chohong." Dylan's calm voice sounded out.

She froze and then sighed before slumping back down into the sofa.

While that was happening, I surveyed the group by Cinzia. Most of the people there were unfamiliar, but as expected, there was a familiar face there.

Claire- Or I suppose in this context, Miss Agnes, looked at me and gave a brief nod.

I smiled back and waved.

Ian caught that and chuckled. But then he shook his head and said, "Well, if negotiations on this end are settled, shall we meet with the others? The situation is urgent, is it not?"

Cinzia stood up, followed by Dylan and Hugo. "It is. Will your place be alright?"

Ian turned back to look at me, an act that didn't go unnoticed by the others. "What do you think, Leader?"

Cinzia's eyes widened a fraction, an act echoed by Agnes.

"Mm." I stared at Ian and said, "Do you need my help?"

"I think it should be fine. These old bones need a work out anyhow. I've been cooped up a bit too long, so some fresh air would be good."

Cinzia laughed. "Old bones, huh? That's funny coming from an old man that looks like he found the fountain of youth."

Ian wagged his eyebrows and said, "Care to find out how youthful I've become, Miss Cinzia?"

She scoffed and then pulled out a cigarette. "No matter how you look, you're still that damned perverted old man, huh?" She shook her head and then walked over, followed by Dylan and Hugo.

Seeing that, Ian turned around and walked out the door.

I stepped to the side, pulling Flone with me.

Ian waved and said, "I'll give you the gist later, Jihu."

I nodded.

Cinzia passed me by next and gave me an approving look. "Hm... You've grown quite a bit, Rookie." Her gaze shifted to Flone and said, "And you've found a decent companion too, I see... Interesting." She glanced back and said, "Are you jealous that your cub will be snatched away, Agnes?"

Agnes adjusted her glasses. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cinzia laughed. "Whatever you say... But take some time off."

"P-Pardon?"

Cinzia waved and walked past me. "You already know everything, so there isn't a reason to participate in this one too. It's been a while since you saw your precious 'Jihu', so take the time to unburden your hearts and catch up."

Agnes flinched and then looked at me before flitting her eyes towards Flone. Then she turned back to Cinzia. "B-But Boss-"

"That's an order." With just that and a brief cackle, Cinzia left, followed by Dylan and Hugo, along with the other Sicilian men.

That left me, Flone, Agnes, and Chohong.

In short, me and three women that I knew for a fact had varying levels of affection towards me.

Flone looked at me and Agnes and then walked over to Chohong and grabbed her arm. "Miss Chohong! Let's go on a girl's night out!"

"W-What? No!" She started to push Flone away, but Flone held on tight.

Flone tugged Chohong off to the side and said, "Come on! I've got some spending money, so let's go look at some new equipment! And you can teach me a bit on how to fight to! My class is a bit like yours, so I wanted to learn a bit from you."

"B-But-!"

"I'll buy you a new weapon~!"

Hearing that, Chohong caved and allowed herself to be pulled away by Flone.

As the Saintess left, she spun around towards me and gave me a wink before pulling Chohong deeper into Haramark.

And then it was just me and Agnes.

She stared after Flone and then adjusted her glasses. "Your new friend is... quite energetic."

"You could say that..."

Silence.

It seemed like Agnes... Or rather, Claire, didn't know how to act around me.

I sighed and then grabbed her hand. "Come on. Let's go get something to eat. It *has* been a while since we talked, Claire."

Claire coughed and said, "I can walk by myself."

"Yeah, but a little skinship goes a long way, right? Anyway, we should probably share a few drinks... I never got the chance to do that with you back in the Neutral Zone. The only bar here is a bit tacky, but it has decent food and drink."

"V-Very well. I shall abide by your suggestions then."

And like that, I led Claire over to 'Eat, Drink, and Enjoy.'

Unfortunately, I didn't expect that her reputation was that infamous.

Men who were walking towards us from the opposite direction suddenly flinched and fell on their butts. The few that didn't flicked their gaze towards where my hand held Claire's and then quickly turned and ran.

Not only that, but even the more annoying people that gave me a stink eye because I hung around Flone turned pale when they saw Claire, as if seeing death itself.

That held true even as we entered the pub- No, it got worse.

The moment we stepped inside, the boisterous interior fell into deathly silence.

I shrugged and led her over to the counter.

There were already people there, but they quickly jumped out of their seats and ran off.

That was the signal.

Not long after that, a stampede of the patrons began, everyone scrambling over themselves to get out of the bar.

Even the bartender, the relatively friendly guy, stood in shock. No, he wasn't in shock. Now that I paid attention to him, the guy was busy reciting the Lord's Prayer.

Claire frowned and reached to pull out some coins. Before she could, I flicked a gold coin onto the counter in front of the bartender.

"Sorry for the trouble. A bottle of..." I glanced at Claire and said, "Rum?"

"That is acceptable."

I nodded and said, "Right. A bottle of rum and honey mead, would you?"

"R-Right on it!" He scrambled into the back and brought out two bottles at lightning speed. Snatching the gold coin of the countertop, he made his way into the back, shouting, "T-Take your time! A-And if you need something else, help yourselves!"

Claire's eye twitched.

Seeing that, I formed a quick glass and poured her some rum, sliding it over. "Here. Take a load off."

"...Thank you."

I nodded and poured out a cup for myself from the bottle of honey mead.

Claire grabbed the cup and took a sip before placing it down. Staring at me, she said, "Are you not curious?"

"Hm?" I played dumb and said, "About what? Your health?" I nodded and said, "Of course. My dear friend Claire seems to be under a lot of stress, so I thought I'd take her out for a few glasses to unwind a bit."

She blinked and then gave me a faint smile. "You... Truly are a remarkable individual, Jihu."

"So people tell me."

Claire sighed and took a long drink from her rum. Afterwards, she looked at me and said, "You have come a long way since when I saw you last. While I knew that you would advance quickly, to form a team of your own with Ian Denzel as well as be on speaking terms with Carpe Diem... It is incredible."

I shrugged. "All in a day's work. Though I have to admit that it's a bit annoying."

"What is?"

I took a drink from my mead and said, "Being underestimated and all. It seems that results speak louder than words. Well, I knew that already, but having to deal with people who doubt my ability all the time can be a bit irritating."

Claire smiled and said, "Indeed. That must be quite the nuisance for someone as yourself." She paused and said, "Though I am curious. I heard that you are still just a Level 2 Warrior?"

"Mm. Technically." I nodded and said, "If I went on the normal trajectory, I would be at least a High Ranker at the moment. But since I possess a unique combination of skills, Gula gave me a class that would allow me to develop them all in tandem and synergize them."

"Ah." She nodded and said, "That explains it. A person with your stats... To be honest, in pure physique I believe you should rival if not surpass my own."

I shook my head. "Even if that's the case, I can't make up for raw experience. Which I suppose is the stopping point for me. That's why people like you exist, you know? It'd be bad to trust important things to a rookie like me even though I have the ability to stand on equal grounds."

"...So you say. But it appears to me that you would be able to smoothly handle any situation thrown at you. Or were the tales of you resolving the invasion at Arden Valley mere hearsay?"

I laughed and said, "I did help out a bit there... But still, I'd rather not be put in a position of something too important just quite yet."

"Mm..." Claire slowly sipped on her drink and stared at me. "If that is what you have decided. Now, there is something else that I would like to ask if you do not mind."

"Go for it."

Claire nodded and said, "That woman from earlier. The silver-haired lady. Who is she?"

"Oh, Flone?"

Claire frowned. "Flone, is it? I do not recognize the name..."

"You wouldn't." I shook my head and said, "She is... Well, her identity is a bit complicated, but she's a fellow member of my team that joined after I helped her out of a situation following an expedition."

"...An expedition?" She frowned and said, "The Forest of Denial?"

I blinked and then said, "Right... You would know about that. I forgot that Cinzia was the one who ordered that."

"I do not recall anyone fitting that description joining the expedition."

I shrugged. "It's not quite my story to tell. She's trustworthy though." I paused and said, "And she trusts me a bit too much, actually. It's hard to get away from her sometimes."

"Mm."

"Enough about me though. What's been going on in your life?"

Claire shrugged. "Nothing of note. Following the Neutral Zone, I returned to my usual duties. Perhaps the only interesting information came from news that Princess Teresa has begun further investment into the Arden Valley Fortress. Ah, and this upcoming mission, of course."

"Mission... Right." I frowned, vaguely remembering something about it. "It must be pretty important to-"

A flash of crimson. From Claire.

"Jihu?" She looked at me, concern on her face.

I paused and said, "...Not to diminish your abilities, Claire, but are you confident in the upcoming mission?"

"Mm?" A faint smile crossed her face. "Are you concerned about me? I will have you know that while I could not train you to the extent I desired, I am no weakling."

"I'm aware, but..." I frowned and then reached into my bag. As I did, I thought about what could be useful and then made a ring. Synthesizing it from platinum, instilling it with mana imbued with restoration and damage mitigation.

I hesitated though and looked at her again. When I did-

A flash of blue light. The Destiny Severance.

Claire faced off against a horde of mutated orcs. A knife was in her right hand and she easily cut them down. But then, a flurry of gunshots.

A hole in her ribs. One over her heart. And then her head.

Like a puppet with severed strings, she collapsed onto the ground. But that wasn't enough.

Somehow, she was still alive.

I saw Ian run over in the distance, his rapier glowing with a kaleidoscope of colors.

But then the orcs grabbed Claire and ran off, retreating instead of continuing to fight.

And after-

I blanched, the vision shattering in an instant.

"-Hu? Jihu?"

I blinked, realizing that Claire was looking at me with concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?" She glanced at my mead and said, "Is something wrong with your drink?"

"No. No. It's just..."

I was beginning to realize it now.

Destiny Severance.

At first, I wondered why it was different from Seol's ability. For him, it was Destiny Selection. The ability to 'choose' and see the futures coming up to avoid it.

But mine wasn't like that.

No. It was similar, but I should have realized the difference.

Severance. The places were Destiny was severed. Where the preordained result had been altered.

For Jinhee and my dad, it was a result of my actions stacking up. She was never supposed to have been attacked, and my dad was never supposed to go into the car accident.

I saved Jinhee, but my dad still got into the accident.

That meant that some things wouldn't change. No, that my actions would cause certain results.

There was the vision with Yun Seora and Yun Seohui.

The vision with Roe Scheherazade.

The one with Flone.

And now, with Claire...

"Jihu." Claire looked serious. "What's wrong?"

I stared at her. The glowing crimson light was still present. Even as I held the ring that was supposed to protect her, that light didn't fade- no, it grew stronger.

"...Do you have to go on the mission?"

xxx

Agnes stared at the young man in front of her and frowned.

It was odd. One moment he was calm and jovial, and then the next it was like he saw a ghost. No, a dead man walking.

If it was anyone else, she would have thought that they were overreacting. Perhaps it was a sudden realization of the dangers of the mission, or something.

But this was Seol Jihu. The man who cleared the Impossible mission in the Neutral Zone on his own merit. The one whose stats alone would rank him in the top quarter of Earthlings despite him being a Level 1 Warrior.

At the same time, he was a man whose insight astounded him.

So, instead of brushing him off like her instincts told her too, Agnes questioned him instead. "Why do you ask?"

"This..." Jihu pursed his lips, as if trying to find a way to explain.

It seemed like he wanted to tell her. That he wanted to tell everything. But he couldn't.

And then Agnes's eyes widened.

That demeanor. It was the same as a person that returned from Paradise and was questioned about what they did. The manner of someone that was restricted by Divine authority.

"Jihu-"

He shook his head and said, "If you go, it will be dangerous. Even for you. So then..." He looked hesitant, but then nodded and stared into her eyes.

Agnes froze, confronted with a pair of sparkling orbs, shimmering with every color of the rainbow.

"Take this." He placed a crystal dagger on the table along with a brilliant ruby ring. "I can't go with you to stop it myself, but this should save you from that fate."

Agnes frowned. "That fate...?" She muttered but then accepted the items.

The moment she grabbed the crystal dagger, she felt mana flow from it, interlacing with her own before drawing back into the dagger. When it did, the dagger shifted, turning into the form of the familiar stiletto that she was accustomed to. But not only that, it felt warm. An extension of her own body.

As for the ring... She hesitated about putting it on.

Seeing that, Jihu grabbed her left hand and slipped it on her ring finger.

A flush of warmth spread through her body at that. Not just embarrassment, but a tangible warmth. And with that, the crystal dagger... No, stiletto vibrated, turning a deep ruby color.

Jihu nodded and leaned back. "Good." He looked at Agnes and said, "Whatever you do during the mission, keep those on your person at all times. Please. If you don't, then I..."

Agnes coughed and adjusted her glasses. "J-Jihu. I thank you for your concern, but something like this..." She gazed down at the sparkling ring and dagger.

How much did they cost? No, he mentioned that he recently went on an expedition to the Forest of Denial, didn't he? Surely he must have obtained valuable treasures. Then... Were these...?

She shook her head and tried to give them back. "I cannot accept these."

"Please." Jihu stared at her and said, "If you don't come back, then I..."

Agnes felt her heart race at that look. She coughed and then averted her gaze. "W-Well... If you insist..."

A bright smile. "Thank you, Claire. Then... I should probably get going. I have a few more things to prepare just in case." Jihu stood up and then stared at Agnes once more with deep, unreadable eyes, and then said, "Stay safe."

With that, he was gone, leaving just Agnes and the empty pub.

Agnes swirled the cup of rum around a bit in her hands, staring at the sparkling ring on her left hand. Then, glancing at the cup, she set it aside and downed the entire bottle.

After feeling the burn, she set it down, feeling the tips of her ears burning. Then, for good measure, she finished up her cup as well before slamming it down.

"That man... He has no shame, does he?"

Was it on purpose, or was he just a natural lady killer? The words he said, the actions he took...

Agnes sighed and then got to her feet.

And then she heard a noise from beside her.

Glancing over, she saw the bartender staring at her with wide eyes.

A swell of rage filled her heart and then she narrowed her eyes. "...One word of this and you will regret staying alive. Understood?"

A meek nod was her response.

For good measure, she took out a copper coin and flicked it at the bartender's head, embedding it into the wall.

After seeing him slump to the ground, she nodded and walked off, her heart a bit more composed.

Still...

"...That man doesn't know how to hold back when it comes to women, does he?" She idly held up her left hand, staring at the ruby ring, and then shook her head before walking away.

xxx

Back in Elysium HQ. After leaving Claire behind, I walked off, lost in thought.

The faint blue light and that vivid scene... It couldn't get out of my head. At the same time, while I had reduced the light around her from crimson to orange, I was still worried.

The fact that it hadn't faded meant that it was still dangerous. And considering that Claire was a level 6 assassin, plus the items I gave her, that was bad.

It was enough that I wanted to go in person... but the mission wouldn't allow me to. "Dammit." I muttered and said, "Should I have just ranked up?"

The name and title mattered more at this stage. Since I didn't have the feats to my name, I wouldn't be trusted. Even if I could see the dangers completely...

I walked into the building and closed the door behind me. When I did...

"You seem to be in a gloomy mood, Jihu."

...Ian's voice called out.

The older Magician was sitting on the sofa, as if waiting for me. He was still in his familiar get up, but he also had other things with him. A few bags, some miscellaneous staves strapped on his back.

I frowned and said, "Are you leaving right now?"

He nodded. "It's urgent. The royal family issued an emergency mission that only High Rankers and above can participate... Well, I'm an exception though. It seems that they needed this old man for a bit of insurance for my knowledge and expertise."

"...Mutated orcs, right?"

Ian paused and looked at me, frowning. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No." I shook my head and said, "Just... a premonition."

Ian was glowing as well. Unlike the others, his was a faint shade of yellow. But that meant that he was still in danger.

"A premonition, you say? Mm..." He frowned. "Should I not go?"

"No. You should. If you don't, I think the entire mission will collapse."

Ian's eyes grew serious. "Are you certain?"

I nodded. "Yes. The problem is that-"

A sudden strange sensation. Like a knife placed against my neck- No, like standing over a cliff. That if I continued speaking, something unspeakable would result.

I froze and then muttered, "Will it break causality...?"

As if in response to my question, the entire world turned crimson.

I tensed and quickly bit back the words I was about to say. Only then did the color fade.

Ian stared at me with serious eyes. "Jihu. What will happen?"

I shook my head. "I can't say." After that, I gave a helpless laugh. "Is this what the gods feel like?"

Knowing what could result and yet being unable to do much or say anything.

I sighed and then looked at Ian. "Look. The most I can say is that I'm counting on you. The situation won't develop as it appears, so stay on your toes and keep an eye on the others. Alright?"

Ian frowned. "If even you are saying that much, it must really be serious." He nodded and said, "Then I will do as you say, Leader. Haah... and here this old man thought it would be a simple excursion..."

"Nothing ever really is around here."

"Indeed. It appears that it is not." Ian nodded and said, "Well, at least I have a passing knowledge of 'it' now. If the worst comes, I can pull something off now that my old bag of bones isn't so old. Especially with this." He tapped his rapier and smiled. "So don't worry too much, friend. This old man won't leave you alone just yet."

"I'm holding you to those words. If you do die, I'm going to find you on Earth and make you regret it."

"Ooh. Better not perish than, shan't I?" He laughed and then patted my shoulder. "Ah." He paused and then rummaged in his robes. "I had almost forgotten, but I managed to wrangle something out of them for you while I'm gone." He handed a rolled up scroll to me.

"This is...?" I unrolled it.

"A mission issued by the village of Ramman. On the surface, it's a simple monster extermination request, but that place has a curious mystery, you see." Ian lowered his hand and said, "I've been meaning to delve into it myself, but since this came up, I'll leave it in your capable hands. With your insight, I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time."

I scanned through the contents.

An exploration mission. A request to rescue missing villagers and find the cause for the monster outbreak, as well as exterminate the ones that appear.

A faint memory came to mind at that and I nodded. "I think I get the gist."

Ian nodded. "Then, as a last bit of advice from this old man, I suggest that you build your team carefully. While Miss Flone is an excellent Warrior and you cover multiple roles, it would still be best to bring along a proper Priest and at least another warrior. An opportunity to spread our name, so to speak."

"Mm. I'll keep that in mind."

"Then I'll be off first. Tell Miss Flone that I said goodbye, alright? Take care, Jihu."

With that, I was alone again. I flopped down on the sofa and stared at the mission scroll, pondering to myself. But as I did...

"What the...?"

A faint golden light, shimmering from the scroll- No, the contents of the message.

...What is going on here?