The Cost of Hope

"Why are you here?"

A voice snapped Rain out of his reverie. He turned from the window he was leaning out of to find Coin by the wall, holding a mug in one hand and a meat skewer in the other.

"Oh, you're here."

"That was my line, hey."

She walked to where he stood by the window and settled herself by the same windowsill he was on. The strong yet fragrant smell of alcohol assaulted Rain's nose. Whatever she was drinking was way more potent than an ale but less than the stuff Hornet liked to gulp down every few minutes.

"What is that?" he asked while pointing to her cup.

Upon hearing his question, Coin opened her eyes wide and pouted, saying, "Hey. You didn't answer me." But then, she took a bite of her skewer and replied to his question anyway.

"I call it the "Water of Life.""

What the hell? Was it some sort of magical beverage? Do they even have those there?

"No. It's just alcohol. If you want, you can get some at the party. For free, of course."

"... I'll pass."

Several hours had passed since Hornet came back, beaten and battered to the point where she lost consciousness. But she had come bearing the Purging Stone, single-handedly accomplishing a task that her fellow hero deemed too dangerous to continue. In celebration of her accomplishment and the success of their "first public commission," Coin arranged a feast for everybody to enjoy. But since Hornet had to be treated, Coin mentioned that she would undoubtedly hold another once the star of that mission woke up.

Rain didn't want to be in such a noisy gathering… especially since there were monsters in attendance as well. He had had enough of that kind of commotion to last for a week after what had happened back at Telerne Village. Even though he was one of the guests of honor there, the thought of having to sit through all the cheerful merrymaking filled him with complicated feelings. It wasn't because he wasn't happy about it. Quite the opposite, really. That was probably the happiest moment of his life.

Snow had finally been cured of her affliction. He was, too, but since it never really bothered him that much, having his own curse lifted was just a side benefit that came with it.

"You should really show your face there. It's bad enough that your friend's absent. Where is she now, anyway?"

"Sleeping."

Getting rid of the curse was a tiring affair. Though it worked swiftly, it pulled a lot of energy from them. Snow, who had a weak constitution to begin with, promptly fell asleep afterward. Rain also wanted to lie on a bed, but his mind seemed intent on keeping him awake. And since tossing around on a bed appeared to be a waste of time, he instead went somewhere else.

"Hmm. Why aren't you at your friend's bedside, then?"

"She hates it when people look at her sleeping face. After having this curse lifted, I feel like getting murdered afterward would just be a waste of everyone's efforts."

"So you're spending your free time beside Hornet's room at the clinic?"

"...."

Coin chuckled before drowning the laughter that was about to come with a mouthful of alcohol. All Rain could do was scratch his head in embarrassment. Is there anything he could say to avoid a misunderstanding? In his defense, he wasn't aware of where he was going. Before he knew it, he was already there.

"But I guess breaking a habit is hard, huh?"

"... What do you mean?"

"You chose a pair of meaningful names. Rain and Snow. Very poetic. I don't know why you chose that over "Sun," though. Maybe you just like a little drizzle? Or maybe there's more to it. People don't just "randomly pick a name," you know?"

"That's..."

He recalled Snow mentioning that the other night. Though he knew that Snow would eventually realize why he chose those names, he didn't think Coin, somebody who had never been informed of their circumstances, nor managed to observe them during their journey, would realize why.

"After many years in this kind of business, you eventually learn almost everything about myths and legends. And in your case, there are only so many kinds of curses given in pairs.

"... Also, Rex told me about it."

Coin took another swig from her mug and sighed as Rain narrowed his eyes.

"You were killing each other, weren't you?"

"...."

He was shocked at how much she could deduce. It wasn't as if anything was evident at a glance.

"How did you realize?" Coin continued. "Curses aren't things documented in books that anybody could just read off a shelf."

"Well…"

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

Several years back, when Rain and Snow weren't working as mercenaries, a major rustfall occurred in their area at night. Fortunately, nobody was affected, as their quaint village did not leave people outside to guard their borders because of how isolated they were. Everyone was confined inside their homes, waiting for the rust on the ground to dry and be blown away by the wind. However, because it occurred right as the rainy season had arrived, it never reached the point where the residents could even go outside to sweep the corroded soil away. Sporadic rainfall kept the land moist and saturated with rust that ate away their boots.

The nearest town was able to help by sending a handful of mages who knew flight spells to distribute rations every so often. It was thanks to them that they were able to survive over a dozen weeks of continuous rainfall while surrounded by rust.

During that time, Rain and Snow, who lived at opposite ends of the village, couldn't see each other at all. It took almost four months before the rain let up and allowed the ground to become dry enough that people could sweep what remained of the corrosion away from the land.

But during that same period, Rain felt… good. Not exactly great, but he did feel that his physical condition had stopped deteriorating during that time. It was as if confining himself had halted the curse's effects.

Coincidentally, Snow's "scheduled" attack didn't occur as well, even though it was supposed to happen within the time they had been confined. However, a few months after the incident, she collapsed from health issues again.

At first, he thought nothing of it. Maybe they were just blessed with a short moment of reprieve. But, as someone who paid careful attention to Snow's health and his own, he already had a sneaking suspicion.

A year or so later, after reaching an acceptable age, they both applied for apprenticeships under a large mercenary group. Their training lasted almost a year and required them to live separately.

While his training as a warrior taxed him greatly, he never felt as if the curse weighed him down progressively. Similar to that incident, it stagnated. His physical condition improved as he piled hours into practice, eventually finishing his training among the best of his batch.

Snow also finished her apprenticeship successfully, though with barely passing marks, because, according to her mentor, she was apparently more interested in selling the enchantments she made than making progress with her studies.

Their reunion should have been a joyous occasion. But, the moment they came within arm's reach, Snow dropped to the floor.

At that time, a priest that trained clerics for the mercenary group was also in attendance. After hearing that somebody had collapsed, the old man rushed to the scene and inspected the unconscious girl. Though he couldn't perfectly diagnose what was wrong with her, he could at least provide him with more information regarding the curse.

It was that it was "caused by something near her."

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

"That's how you deduced that you–I mean, both of you were the problem?"

Rain looked up to the cavern's ceiling. The gigantic crystal that served as the main chamber's light source shone brightly, yet at an intensity gentle enough to be easy on the eyes. In a way, it was better than the sun, glorious but still attainable by human hands.

If only they were blessed the same way for reaching out.

"Yeah. I didn't have any proof. But the more we spent time together, the worse off we became. Particularly her. That was the most probable cause, anyway."

"Was she aware?"

"... Yeah. Snow definitely knew."

There was no reason for her not to. It was her body, after all. In fact, it must have been more evident to her than to Rain. That was why they liked to act separately, painful as it was. Even as they were cured of their affliction, Rain couldn't help but stay away. As Coin said, it had already become a habit.

"Then… why did you two not break off?"

A laugh came out of Rain's throat without meaning to. Embarrassed, he covered his mouth and coughed.

"I did. I tried. But she just hunted me down."

Once he came to terms with himself, Rain silently resigned from the mercenary group and left alone in the dead of night, leaving Snow under the care of the well-off and kind folks there. However, there was a certain tenacity only a woman hellbent on something could achieve. Perhaps he was half-hearted about leaving her as well, but Snow would always find him every time he left, even after his idea about the curse was made known between them. Eventually, he just gave up and dedicated himself to undoing the curse instead.

"Anyway, thank you. This is a dream come true. Really. I can't thank you enough."

Rain placed his right hand above his chest and kneeled in a similar manner as Coin's subordinates did. But the latter interrupted him by shoving the meat skewer to his face. He would have had a face smeared in the sauce if he had continued.

"Save your thanks for Hornet and her obsession with being a hero. She's the one who pulled through. I only accept cash."

He choked. How could he forget?! They still need to pay her for the service.

Suddenly, Rain felt nauseous. It was definitely not going to be cheap. Judging from Rex's valuation of the tokens, it would cost them a fortune to pay everything off. Since they consumed every single one, they would likely only have the money Rex suggested as a bounty for the stone itself remaining. Then there were the expenses for the three heroes, which would certainly not be small.

Considering those people had power on the level of legends, the total cost might even be more than the money Rex would pay them…

"Uhh…" he stammered, unsure of how he should conduct himself. "How much is it, exactly?"

As if it was the most frequently asked question for her, Coin simply shrugged and began enumerating the costs.

"Let's see… Transportation, lodgings, supplies, and food… should probably add Hornet's medical fees, too… Then, the three idiots' salaries… I pay them minimum wage anyway, so…."

Rain swallowed hard as Coin listed the itineraries for which she would demand payment. Some of them seemed inconsequential, but hearing that they would also need to pay for Hornet's treatment gave him a bit of a stroke.

"Fifty-five thousand five hundred ron. Sounds good?"

"... What?"

"... "What?" Huh? Too much? Ugh, well… Stain and Rex did fail, so I guess I can leave their salaries out. How about fifty-two thousand, then? That's the lowest I can go. The bills don't pay themselves."

Hearing the amount caused Rain to have a severe case of lightheadedness. He couldn't actually believe what he had heard. But the look on Coin's face said otherwise. She was dead serious… desperate, even. Her expression suggested that if he "tried to haggle" the price even lower, there would be problems.

Not that he had any intention to do anything remotely similar.

"Are you sure?" he asked in a hoarse voice. Sure, fifty-five thousand rons was a lot of money, but that was the same kind of money a veteran mercenary would make for an extended commission. "Isn't that too low?!"

"No. It's not good to overcharge people. Just thinking about the reviews we'll get if we do gives me the chills. Not only that but the ratings…!"

What the hell was she talking about?

"Anyway! We sell hope, dear client, not scams. So that's definitely the proper market price…."

"Because I said so," Coin followed in a whisper he could barely understand.

"Besides, what kind of peddler of hope would I be if I just replaced one predicament with another, right?"

Unfortunately, she had a point. And that made for an admirable ideal. But that begged the question; where did they get the funds to run that place? Did Solycis, Rex's empire, provide them with everything?

"Okay. Fifty-five thousand it is."

Rain had no reason not to accept such a generous offer, even if it was way too good to be true.

"Great. I'll expect your payment before you leave. Now, let's get back to the party, shall we?"

Perhaps it was out of consideration for his melancholic appearance when she saw him that Coin insisted that he attend the celebration, but… it may also have something to do with the fact that she had already emptied her mug.

As she turned to leave, for some reason, Rain felt the blood drain from his face. Without meaning to, he suddenly called out to her to wait. He didn't understand why he did so. She turned around and waited for him to continue for what seemed like a very long time until even she had to speak out.

"What's wrong?" she asked with the same fake cheery tone she usually had. And Rain couldn't respond. Why did he stop her? He didn't know. That was why he eventually shook his head after fighting with himself over the matter.

"It's nothing."

"... I see."

She smiled and waved him goodbye. But though her expression didn't seem to have changed... there was an uncharacteristic sadness in Coin's voice as she left.

And disappointment.

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

In the end, Rain never attended the party. After Coin returned, he spent the remaining time before nightfall, when the giant crystal on the cave ceiling dimmed its light, sulking at the clinic.

Truth be told, he was lost. Having a long time to himself allowed him to think about the future. Only a short while ago, he had been pursuing a way to lift the curse on his and Snow's bodies. And in just a matter of a few days, he achieved his wish, albeit with the help of others. Since the circumstances went from utterly hopeless to success abruptly due to Hornet's efforts, he had no time to think about what to do after.

On top of that, Rex had inadvertently granted Snow's wish at practically the same time and promised them an extraordinary amount of wealth that even the latter, who had nothing but money in mind, could not wrap her head around it.

Both of them have stopped dying, and they would become wealthy enough to have no reason to work for a single day in their lives anymore. So what comes next?

They could run a business, for one. But they had no idea how. Alternatively, they could use some of their funds to buy high-quality equipment and continue their work as mercenaries, perhaps even expand their party… but what was the point? The only reason why they became wandering arms-for-hire was to make money and look for a cure simultaneously.

Rain entertained many other possibilities, but none of them motivated him.

"Is this why rich nobles are so twisted? Because they already have so much that they become bored?"

Then, he heard the creaking sound of a door opening. He turned to see that the door to Hornet's room had swung open, perhaps due to the strong, artificial wind generated inside the cave.

He thought the door had been closed properly, even if it wasn't locked. It was still strange, though. Maybe someone had entered her room?

Curiosity and his restlessness got the better of him, and he soon entered the room unannounced.