For a whole minute, Peri couldn’t bring herself to speak.
There was no mistaking it—the face in the sketch belonged to her childhood friend, the boy her mother once treated as her own son.
Gerald had never been just a friend. He was family. For as long as she could rember, she saw him as her shield, soone she admired for his dedication and steady spirit that never wavered.
Even after their last quarrel, she hadn’t been able to hate him. She believed that if he apologized to Hades, she would forgive him. Deep inside, she even thought the two of them could have beco close friends.
But now... "Are you sure?" Her voice was low, though she already knew the answer. Kaelith wouldn’t have called her here without certainty.
Still, that faint thread of hope kept her tied to her past self. She wished it wasn’t him. She wished it were soone else.
Yet Kaelith’s words struck without hesitation: "It’s him, Peri. The man who grew up by your side is the mole sent by Dragon King Cravanvor."
Kaelith went on, "He has been staying here disguised as a traveler. His real purpose is still unclear. But there’s no doubt—the presence Avalin sensed that day in the forest was his."
Crunch.
Peri’s teeth clenched, the parchnt crumpling in her grip. "Where can I find him?" she asked.
"Why should I tell you?" Kaelith replied calmly, leaning back in her seat as if this were nothing more than casual talk.
Peri lifted her gaze, eyes burning red with anger. "This man has endangered my husband’s life, pretended to be my friend while hiding poisoned intentions. And I was blind to it."
Her chest tightened with disappointnt. She had failed to see the lies behind Gerald’s smile. If only she had known then...
But Kaelith’s answer was blunt. "No. I won’t tell you." She tilted her head, resting her cheek against her hand.
Peri’s breath hitched. "Why? Do you think I’m not strong enough?"
"You lack conviction," Kaelith said. "This is the man you grew up with. Can you truly look him in the eye and drive a blade through his heart? Tell , Peri—can you really do that?"
"I can." Peri’s answer ca without a pause.
Kaelith’s gaze sharpened as the younger elf added, "The mont I see him, he dies."
A slow grin spread across Kaelith’s face as she caught the fire burning in Peri’s eyes.
When she learned Gerald was tied to Peri’s past, Kaelith saw a perfect chance. A test. And what better way to asure her son’s wife’s devotion?
"Avalin," the Matriarch called.
A familiar maid stepped forward. "This will be your first trial." She extended another parchnt toward Peri.
Peri stood, her hand steady as she accepted it. The maid continued, "This is where he’s heading. Intercept him—and bring his head."
Peri pressed the parchnt against her chest and nodded. "I won’t fail you."
....
Picking herbs brought back a wave of nostalgia.
Hades knelt on the grassy field surrounding an abandoned church. It stood at the edge of town, where silence hung heavy and undisturbed.
His early days as an adventurer had always been like this.
Gathering herbs, cleaning out sewers, searching for lost children—small, simple tasks that carried little danger and just as little reward.
Hades never once complained. Back then, he had been young and weak, grateful for any chance to grow.
He learned by watching others, sharpening his skills through trial, error, and experience.
The first job that ever made him feel like a true warrior was hunting slis in the forest.
He still rembered the rush of pride when he defeated his very first one, dragging the whole puddle back and earning a single silver coin for it.
That silver had gone to buy his mother a hairpin. The second coin he earned was spent on a gift for his only friend, Luna—a new pair of sandals.
As those mories surfaced, Hades found himself smiling.
"Artedor... Balicks... yeah, this should do." Fortunately, the herbs in this realm were familiar—many of them were the sa ones found in the human world.
Still, a few unfamiliar varieties caught his eye.
Hades carefully tucked the new ones into his pouch, planning to study them later.
He knew better than most that when circumstances stripped away comfort—food, shelter, or safety—nature beca the greatest ally one could have.
That was why it was always wiser to learn as much about it as possible.
He placed the gathered herbs into a separate pouch. There were thirteen in total, so it took a while to move across the field and pick them one by one.
When he finally finished, Hades straightened his back and brushed the dust from his clothes.
With the pouch in hand, he began making his way toward the guild.
That was when a voice echoed in his mind.
[Do you really think this will work? In my view, challenging him head-on would be the better choice.]
Hades let out a quiet sigh. "And why would soone who has spent his life in hiding, who has already discarded his own pride, answer such a challenge? Not every fight is decided by strength alone."
[And if this plan of yours fails?]
Hades humd in thought, pausing briefly before replying, "Then I’ll find another way... maybe even the one you’re pushing for."
A scoff rang through his head. He heard it clearly, yet chose not to ask why.
His steps carried him to the Hunter’s Guild.
Inside, it was far less crowded than when he had first entered earlier.
Hades joined the line and waited patiently for his turn.
"Oh, you’re back." The receptionist—the sa woman who had confird his quest and explained the reward—looked a little surprised to see him return so soon.
Hades nodded with a small smile. "Yes. Here are all the herbs you asked for."
He handed over the pouch.
The brunette task manager examined its contents, giving a quick nod of approval. "Nice quality. And you even made sure the roots weren’t damaged. Good work, newbie."
Hades’ smile deepened slightly as she reached into the drawer, counting out three silver coins. The reward had only been listed as two.
With a playful wink, she slid them across the counter. "Keep this between us."
Hades gave a brief nod.
Just when the receptionist thought he would walk away, Hades pulled another herb, a herb glowing slightly and asked, "I was wondering how much I would get for this one."
"....!"
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading. I hope the pacing is fine. I am trying to balance things up between fluff and story developnt.
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