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The windows were covered with curtains, obscuring the view inside, and the door was closed. However, when Ian grasped the doorknob, it turned without resistance.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he opened the door. Inside stood a knight clad in pristine white armor and wearing a helmet.

For a moment, he thought it was a statue, but there was no reason to place one in a corridor.

‘A paladin?’

From the style engraved on the armor, there was no doubt. It belonged to the Fourth Lord, Hamir.

Suddenly, he recalled what Diem had said last night about seeing someone important from the temple, and he suspected this knight might be one of them.

The paladin, standing resolutely, spoke up.

“There should be a sign outside. We’re not open for business today… Ah, wait. That insignia…”

The paladin approached Ian, staring intently at the golden insignia on his collar.

After a low groan, he straightened his posture and apologized.

“I apologize for my rudeness towards a noble of the Pantheon. Unfortunately, this establishment is not available for use today. Please consider visiting again another time.”

“No, I’m here on a commission.”

“…A commission?”

Instead of providing a detailed explanation, Ian presented the paper he received from Elian.

After checking it, the paladin glanced at Ian and nodded.

“Follow me.”

As he followed the paladin into the cafe, he spotted a woman sitting alone in a secluded corner.

The moment Ian looked at her, he froze in place, his eyes widening.

The woman, leaning her head against the wall in exhaustion, was stunningly beautiful, resembling a sleeping princess from a fairy tale.

Her long, flowing black hair, a face that seemed sculpted by the gods, and even though she was sitting and draped in a robe, her figure was undeniably striking.

A mysterious aura radiated from her, enhancing her allure even further.

Without a doubt, she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen.

His heart raced, and he felt a powerful tremor as he recognized her identity.

‘…Abella.’

The chosen warrior of the Fourth Lord, Hamir of the Reverse Sky. The one who had brought the greatest change to his life before his reincarnation.

Memories of the time spent with her began to resurface vividly.

—Sadly, this world is on the brink of apocalypse. Are you aware?

The first words she had spoken as soon as they revealed their identities.

—I need your help.

And her following invitation.

—The Lord wishes to protect this land. Having been chosen by him, I too strive to safeguard it.

When he asked her why she couldn’t just pass by a group of monsters, she had replied:

—Well done. Not everyone can synchronize with me like this. You truly have talent.

After they had defeated the Blood Claw together, she had praised him as she helped him up.

—Later, sometime, would you care for a drink with me?

She had interjected during a discussion about alcohol with Elian, offering the suggestion with a gentle smile.

They had shared many conversations afterward. Watching her back, he felt a growing desire to be with her.

He began to wish to reach level 7 and share the burdens she carried on her shoulders.

But that never came to pass. In reality, it was like a pile of burdens. He had only reached level 6 after the battle with the foreign monsters, and it was only then that he had achieved it.

—That’s not it. I intend to start over.

—Ian. Thank you. I could come this far because of you. And… I’m sorry.

The last conversation they had echoed in his mind like a vivid dream. The memory of her face back then blended with her youthful visage now.

‘Who would have thought I’d meet her here?’

It truly was an unexpected event. He felt his body tremble with emotion, and a smile threatened to break across his face at the long-awaited reunion.

“Lady Abella.”

The paladin approached and called her name.

Her heavy eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly lifting, and she exhaled softly. She seemed quite exhausted.

“I’m sorry. I must have dozed off.”

“It’s alright. You should rest when you can.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“In terms of time, it probably hasn’t been an hour. If it were up to me, I would have let you sleep longer, but someone sent by Elian Pretus has arrived.”

“Really?”

She asked while yawning.

“Yes. And they are also a noble of the Pantheon.”

Abella took the paper from the paladin, quickly scanned it with her eyes, and frowned slightly.

“Ian, Berger? Is that you?”

Her ash-colored eyes stared intently. Ian almost smiled involuntarily under that gaze but managed to keep his mouth shut and responded instead.

“That’s correct.”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.

Her fatigue seemed to lift as she smiled, brightening the space around them like blooming flowers.

“You look youthful.”

“Likewise.”

Abella tilted her head slightly, keeping her lips pressed together, and asked again.

“Are you really Ian Berger?”

There seemed to be an unexplainable sense of nostalgia in her voice.

‘…Could it be?’

Could Abella have also reincarnated? However, recalling their conversation just before her death, there should be some sign of joy at this reunion, but she showed none.

Ian decided not to dig deeper for now. It wouldn’t do any good to raise unnecessary suspicions, so he only answered her question.

“Do you think I’m not?”

“A little. I’ve heard you were a rogue. You’re very different from what I thought… and being a noble of the Pantheon? That seems unlikely.”

Ian flinched. He was sure she knew something.

Thinking back, the Fourth Lord, Hamir’s power was that of the Reverse Sky.

It was said to be the ability to reverse any situation or condition, and if it could even involve time, there was a strong possibility it related to reincarnation.

He had so many questions he wanted to ask her. Had she also reincarnated?

But with the paladin watching, he couldn’t bring it up.

Seeing his puzzled expression, she stammered.

“No, that’s not it. More importantly, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Abella, the chosen warrior of Lord Hamir.”

The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat, but he swallowed them down and conveyed his honor at meeting her.

“Have you heard about the commission from Elian?”

“He mentioned something about a decent job.”

“Hmm, that guy. He seems diligent but surprisingly has a lazy side. This task won’t be easy. What’s your current level?”

“I’m at level 4, almost level 5.”

Having consumed the hard-to-obtain monster’s gem, he was growing rapidly, at an astonishing rate considering his magical capacity.

“From what you say, it seems you have some confidence in your skills? There’s nothing wrong with that kind of confidence. But I must warn you, this mission… even at level 5, you could die.”

Ian chuckled. She was quite different from the Abella he once knew.

He had thought she was all seriousness, but it seemed she was quite gentle in her younger days.

“I’m fine with it.”

Having come this far, it would be a disgrace to tarnish the name of Berger, and it would reflect poorly on the Green Tower as well.

There’s no such thing as a completely safe task in this world, especially not when it comes to missions undertaken by mercenaries.

“Alright then, shall we head out?”

“Are we leaving right away?”

“We’ll take a carriage part of the way, so I’ll explain as we go. Since Elian introduced you, I’ll trust you for now, but I sincerely hope you have the skills to back it up.”

“Don’t worry. I heard it involves tracking, and I won’t disappoint you in that regard.”

“Let’s go then.”

Ian followed Abella. The carriage was already prepared to depart at any moment.

Sitting across from each other, Abella spoke first.

“First, we’re tracking a monster.”

“Excuse me?”

That was an unexpected answer, and it didn’t make sense to him.

Why would a warrior spend valuable time on something like a monster? Frankly, a paladin could handle a lesser beast alone, or they could hire mercenaries or summon the city’s forces.

Unless there was some precious treasure involved, it was hard to explain. Noticing his skeptical expression, Abella kindly elaborated.

“Of course, it’s not an ordinary monster. It’s shrouded in a deep violet aura and forming an incomplete ring above its head. Do you know what that means?”

Ian furrowed his brow. With that explanation, it became somewhat understandable why a warrior would be involved.

“It’s likely a monsterization, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. Moreover, it possesses high intelligence, cunning, and the ability to endure, making it even more dangerous. Once it becomes a monster, it will gain special abilities, making it much harder to deal with and requiring even greater sacrifices.”

“It sounds more dangerous than I thought. Is there no support from the Green Tower?”

Abella fiddled with her flowing hair and let out a small sigh.

“I heard a mid-level mage would provide support, but they declined.”

“Why?”

“…They said they lacked practical experience. It’s unavoidable. The Green Tower isn’t particularly specialized in single combat. I requested a high-level mage’s dispatch, but unfortunately, most of the high-level mages, including the tower master, are currently away collaborating with Berger.”

Ian turned his gaze away slightly. It seemed that due to the recent research on black mages, the higher-ups of the Green Tower had decided to investigate the temple of Erlar directly.

‘Is it all connected like this?’

Abella continued, almost lamenting.

“So since a mage won’t do, I asked for someone skilled in tracking as quickly as possible.”

“And that’s why I’m here.”

“Exactly.”

“But it feels like a lot of time has passed. Isn’t there a possibility it has already escaped far away?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s likely still in that spot.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“One hunter was tracking it with us. If that hunter hadn’t taken a moment to step away, we wouldn’t need to ask for help from the Green Tower.”

Ian frowned in disappointment. It was a common occurrence—nature could be inconvenient sometimes.

“Oh dear.”

“Still, it’s not without results. We confirmed that it has formed a nest and isn’t moving beyond a certain area.”

He couldn’t help but think that perhaps Elian’s previous encounters with Abella were tied to this moment. But it wasn’t significant enough to dwell on, so he quickly dismissed the thought.

“Then my task is to track that monster.”

“Exactly.”

“I have one thing I want to confirm.”

“Go ahead.”

“If I manage to catch the monster, can I keep the gem for myself?”

At his confident question, Abella let out a bemused chuckle.

“Sure, but it’s going to be quite difficult. Even a level 4 paladin would struggle against it.”

“What kind of monster is it?”

“It’s a lizard.”

Upon hearing that, Ian let out a low sigh.

Lizards were a term used to describe all scaled creatures excluding dragons. They were originally one of the various races of the continent but had become betrayers of humanity after submitting to the invaders from the outer seas.

Their only desire was to become the most noble and powerful race in the world: dragons.

According to mythology, lizards were said to be born from the flesh and blood of fallen dragons, making their admiration and yearning for dragons well-known throughout history.

During the Great War, when the invaders proved they could grant their wishes, it was only natural for the lizards to turn against humanity.

More than anything, lizards, being those who aspired to be dragons, were inherently strong creatures.

Even a paladin would have no choice but to struggle against such an opponent.

‘A lizard…’

He had already felt a sense of growth after fighting the Bloodclaw, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to test himself.

Feeling the surge of fighting spirit, Ian smiled at Abella.