The outskirts of the maritime kingdom of Nereus.
The village nestled in a shallow bay, where the tides changed the shape of the shore twice a day, looked ordinary at first glance, yet for ordinary people it was an unreachable, hidden land. In the very center of this settlement stood a small hut.
“Hm-m...”
Sunlight pierced through the fishing nets hanging from the ceiling and fell across a face framed by bright yellow hair, making the woman immediately wince. Having grown used to the dim lighting of Border City, it was hard for her to adapt to the blazing sun of her homeland. In the end, she had no choice but to wake up completely.
“Oh, is it morning already.”
Because of the strange dream she had seen in the night, getting up felt heavier than usual. After hesitating for a moment, Tarsha opened the window and looked up at the sky. The clouds were thin, and a strong wind was blowing from the southwest. The weather favored calm sailing. A lazy, beautiful smile played on her lips.
“We can launch the ship today.”
Sure enough, noise was already coming from outside: the pirates under her command were busily loading supplies. Tarsha grabbed the staff leaning against the bed and suddenly stuck herself out the window.
“Guuuuys!”
“Oh, Captain!”
“You’re awake?!”
Tarsha waved the staff with all her strength and shouted:
“Yeah, I’m awake! Today we’re definitely going to properly clean out those Luthien bastards. It’s the right time for transporting offerings, isn’t it?”
Their captain was none other than a high-ranking mage. The “Tarsha Pirates,” who had only taken to sea a year ago, had already begun making a name for themselves in the northern waters of Nereus thanks to their abnormally high loyalty and even higher success rate in raids.
“O-o-oh!”
Satisfied by the powerful response from her subordinates, Tarsha slung the staff over her shoulder and stepped out of the room. On the way to the door, a child who had been dozing in the living room chair came running out, rubbing sleepy eyes. The little one had the same hair and eye color as Tarsha.
“U-uh... Sis, are you leaving today too?”
“Yeah, your sister’s going to earn a lot of money, so watch the house. If you need anything, ask the uncle next door.”
“Be careful. Okay?”
“Alright, alright.”
Tarsha lightly patted the child’s head and was just about to leave the hut when she turned back one last time. Above her brother’s head, as he returned to the room, hung a dragon mask that for some reason immediately caught her eye.
“......”
For a moment, a deep shadow settled over Tarsha’s face. It was a mixture of longing and guilt.
Only a year ago, she had learned that the family member she thought was dead was alive. It had happened around the same time the previous platoon commander died. After much persuasion from her friends, Tarsha left Night Raven.
But her battle had not ended. Even if she no longer wore the mask, her purpose had not changed. To keep fighting, even if only here—that was the duty Tarsha had placed upon herself. After all, it would be a small but real way of helping the friends still waging a fierce battle somewhere far away.
“Blanc, Levain, Parco... how are you guys doing?”
As always, the names dear to her heart slipped from her lips. But for some reason, today there was a strange emptiness deep inside her. As if she had forgotten some very important name. Tarsha tilted her head in confusion, but soon shook it, brushing the thought away.
“Still, I heard they got a new commander. He’s definitely going to suffer with those idiots.”
Hopefully a new letter with news would arrive soon. Though they probably wouldn’t write often to someone who had now become an outsider. By habit, Tarsha looked south, then with a resolute expression headed toward the subordinates waiting for her.
“What are you staring at? On board! On board! Let’s go gut those bloated priests!”
The Tarsha Pirates’ ship caught the favorable wind and shot across the northern sea. The waning moon symbol she had chosen simply because she liked the look of it gleamed across the ship’s hull.
Gunther, having barely finished explaining the future plan of action to the platoon members, returned to his room. Even though some time had passed, he was still in a faint daze. To think Tarsha had left Night Raven.
“...So, a pirate.”
Yes, as had already been said before, he understood that interfering with the past could change much of reality. But when it became a fact and crashed down on him, it was an entirely different matter.
Tarsha doesn’t know me. The friendship and time that had built up between them, that entire history, now belonged to him alone. A strange feeling overtook Gunther, one that was hard to name.
“The affinity level stayed the same, but why...”
Gunther checked the number, still sitting at 70, and let out a quiet sigh. Slowly, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) he replayed the conversation from earlier, when he had pulled Levain aside.
“I’m surprised you suddenly remembered Tarsha’s name. Did we ever talk about her?”
“...I overheard it somewhere.”
“Ah, I see.”
Levain lowered his gaze for a moment, then continued with a wistful smile.
“If you had met Tarsha, Gunther, you definitely would’ve liked her. Or rather, she probably would’ve liked you even more. Anyway, she was a great person.”
“Why did she leave the organization?”
“Ah, well... it’s personal, so I shouldn’t go into too much detail... but in short, it was for a good reason.”
Levain briefly explained the situation.
“Tarsha joined Night Raven because of her family’s death. Like most of us.”
“Her family’s death?”
“Yeah. Tarsha was an exceptional mage from childhood, and because of that she got the chance to study in Seiran’s magic tower. While she was studying hard... the tragic news came that her home village had been attacked.”
Like the other platoon members, Tarsha had never liked talking much about herself.
“...I see.”
“But a year ago, right around when the previous platoon commander died... she learned the whereabouts of the brother she had believed missing and dead.”
Levain shrugged and gave a faint smile.
“Tarsha wanted to stay in the organization, but... we knew what she really wanted. So we practically shoved her out the door so she could return to a normal life. That’s all.”
“A normal life, huh.”
In the dark room, Gunther briefly recalled Tarsha’s image.
“Hey, rookie. Know why they call us the problem platoon?”
That playful tone she used when comforting him in the Labyrinth when the operation had gone off the rails.
“Want to go to the bath together? It’s communal.”
That special smile she always wore whenever she joked around.
“I don’t want to become a burden to you. I want to remain the senior you can always rely on.”
The person who had always steadfastly supported the platoon. The comrade who wordlessly offered a shoulder to lean on.
“......”
But the sense of loss did not last long. What remained in Gunther instead of emptiness was another feeling. Again, it was hard to name, but it was something mixed from longing and pride.
The causal chain that had left Tarsha’s dead brother alive. At the center of it all was undeniably his choice and intervention. The 4th Platoon had lost a capable mage comrade, but in exchange a precious friend had regained her life.
“Yes, that’s enough.”
It felt as if the lively smile of Tarsha, now somewhere on the unimaginably distant other side of the continent, flickered before his eyes. Gunther let out an involuntary chuckle. If the opportunity arose, when he searched for a ship from the kingdom of Nereus toward Pendrox, it might be nice to stop by and see Tarsha at least once. Even if she would not recognize him, he truly wanted to see her. The thought lightened his heart.
“Alright, now focus.”
Gunther took a deep breath and once again thought through the contents of the recent meeting. Every platoon member had been stunned by his astonishing declaration that they would head to Pendrox through the kingdoms of Valloren and Nereus... but one person had reacted more strongly than anyone else.
[Gunther, I’ll finish my business and come to you immediately]
It was Dimona—the one who already had experience escaping from the prison, and whose brother was presumed to still remain in Pendrox.
Tap-tap—
Hurried footsteps now rang out in the corridor. This was not the walk of someone hiding their presence as usual. It was nearly a run.
Bang—
Gunther opened the door first.
“Dimona.”
Dimona was in such an agitated state that he could hardly remember ever seeing her like this. The hood she always wore had fallen back in her haste, and unkempt silver hair clung to her forehead and cheeks. Sweat had appeared between the strands, running down in thin streams toward her chin.
Despite her uneven breathing, her golden eyes shone with unusual brightness. Anxiety, hope, and long-suppressed despair all mixed within them.
“Gunther.”
“Yeah.”
“...Is it true?”
“Of course. We’re going to Pendrox.”
Dimona could not speak for a long time. Pressing her lips tightly together, she took a deep breath, as if swallowing her emotions. Her hands trembled faintly.
Then she began speaking very slowly, but clearly.
“I’ve lived only in expectation of this day. I’ll do everything I can to help.”
***
A few days later. Preparations for the journey were in full swing.
While the platoon members brought their condition and equipment to perfection, Gunther spent his time meeting the people around him. He needed to confirm the consequences of reality’s alteration.
“Today I had lunch with milady. It’s a damn happy day, so get lost and don’t ruin it.”
“...Hm, same as ever.”
Starting with Eddie, who had not changed at all, Brody and Roanna had also undergone no major changes. The moment Brody heard they were heading to Pendrox, she supplied them with a mountain of top-quality travel goods. Roanna was still maintaining order in the Lower City together with her friends. However, one unexpected fact surfaced: both of them had fairly close ties with the 5th Platoon and the children of Audrey House. Apparently, the whims of fate.
Thanks to that, Gunther was naturally able to hear various stories about the 5th Platoon. But he decided to leave that topic for later.
The problem came from Seraz and Mikhela’s side.
“Cutie, why are you suddenly looking for that damn raccoo— I mean, Madam Mayor? Forgot?”
“...Forgot what exactly?”
“She vanished off to parts unknown saying she was going to properly inherit her clan’s power.”
The mayor’s unexpected runaway from home—that was the snag. Of course, Mikhela had recovered far more strength than before, so the chance of her dying in some ditch was nonexistent. However, the major problem remained that there was no trace of her anywhere.
Left alone to dig through mountains of work, Seraz ground her teeth over the mayor. As a result, Gunther ended up sitting and drinking with her until dawn, but the time had not been wasted.
“Ah, those people? I kept an eye on them because they helped when Albino brought in his troops.”
He had managed to obtain information about the Vanguard of White Dawn. As expected, they belonged to the faction of the benevolent gods, and their followers were one of the rare cases of people doing good deeds in the city.
“Good thing I didn’t kill them without thinking. If they show up again... I should catch one and talk.”
There were no major changes among his other acquaintances, the craftsmen from Nest, or Giles Bellamor’s side. However, something felt wrong about the Society of Forgotten Books. He had been unable to contact the old man or Nine. Brody guessed they had temporarily left the city.
“...And I wanted to dig out more about Ellen Beyra.”
The White Rhombus had said that “she” was in Pendrox. From the context, it meant Ellen Beyra. He wanted to gather as much information as possible before meeting her.
But there was no time left to uncover the full background before departure.
“We move first.”
Gunther instructed Brody and Seraz to continue investigating the unclear points and left the city. Naturally, only after officially presenting the operation report to Grand Crow.
Grand Crow also fully understood the necessity of bringing Dominic back. He gave immediate approval and promised support in the future.
The composition of the vanguard force formed before departure was as follows:
The 4th Platoon, Cheonmae, and Jedriel. As well as the commander of the 5th Platoon, Rietta, and her subordinate, Yuria. Yes, the very same girl from the Cult of Healing who had once shyly taken “Raymond” by the hand. Back then, she had run up and hugged him, thanking him for speaking to her.
“Kha-ha-ha! Where are we headed, Commander?!”
Gunther gave an awkward smile as he looked at the muscular axe-wielding warrior standing before him and listened to her thunderous laughter. Was six years of time really that terrifying a thing? Barely suppressing his bewilderment, Gunther announced their first destination.
“To start...”
We absolutely need to stop here first.
“We’re going to empty the Flame King’s treasury.”
.
.
.
Ding!
[Main Scenario: Act 2, Chapter 1 “The First Step” begins]
[Displaying brief description of Act 2 in hint]
You know. You know that even now you still lack the strength to stand against the Luthien Theocracy. A reckless frontal assault would only lead to defeat. So you chose the path of accumulating strength, and the path on which you are not alone.
The objective of Act 2 is clear. Unite the heroes, factions, and resources capable of opposing the Theocracy. You intend to interfere in the chaos and fractures of neighboring regions to obtain the rewards hidden there. For in those places, sparks that have not yet gone out are still smoldering.
Current expedition objectives:
— Valloren.
— Nereus.
— Seiran.
— Nomadis.
— The Desert Empire.
— Pendrox.
Though the squad is still small, the moment has come for the curtain to rise on the first counteroffensive.
