The sky was a deep autumn blue, a color that always seemed to carry a hint of loneliness. I stared up into it as Alto and I left the castle behind and headed for the Adventurers Guild.
Four days had passed since I’d arrived at the castle, and I’d finally been given permission to go home. I’d meant to return to the house Ragi had left to us right away, but everyone had refused to let me leave.
The house was still under strict guard by the knights of Lypaed. From what I’d heard, though, all the thieves from the past few days had been the ones I’d personally sent to prison. There hadn’t been any new arrests since then.
“Master, I’m going to report in. And I’ll apologize for being late, too.”
“Go ahead.”
Alto looked a little nervous at the guild entrance, but he readied himself and walked over to the reception desk.
He’d grown so much over these past few days it was almost startling. I could finally see a real determination in him to stand on his own. There’s a certain saying that goes, “If you haven’t seen a boy for three days, look again with fresh eyes.” I was impressed by just how perfectly that seemed to fit Alto.
I felt proud as I watched him go and followed him into the guild. The instant I stepped through the door, a nervous hush fell over the place, but I ignored it and kept focused on my apprentice.
Alto tipped his head to the side curiously, glanced around, then went to stand at the end of the line.
When his own turn came, he spoke to Drum on his own.
“Good morning, Drum. I’m here to report on the completion of my quest. Sorry I’m a little late.”
“Ah, Alto, it’s been a while. I understand the circumstances, but being late is unacceptable.”
“Can’t I turn it in now? I really want this quest to count. It was important.” His ears drooped as he spoke, but there was an earnest resolve in his voice.
“I had advance notice, so I’ll let it slide just this once. You should thank your master for that. But be careful from now on. If you’re late, the quest will be deemed null and void, treated as if you never took it on.”
“Thank you.”
“Here’s your payment.” Drum handed him a large envelope. “Three gold coins and five silver coins, plus a bonus. It’s all inside. You get thirty points for this one. Normally, you’d lose some for reporting in late, but the client gave such high praise that I’m granting the full thirty. Since that’s not many points considering the duration of the quest, the bonus was adjusted to balance it out, so you should have no complaints. Okay?”
“Yes.”
“And there’s a thank-you letter from the client inside as well. Ragi was really pleased with your work, Alto.”
Alto wagged his tail contentedly.
“I was happy, too. I got to spend all that time with Gramps,” he said, looking straight at Drum when he said it.
Drum laughed quietly. “I see. This next part’s not about the quest, just a bit of advice. Since you registered as an adventurer, you’ve hardly taken any jobs at all. It’s been nearly six months now. You’ll never be a full-fledged adventurer if you don’t step up. Got it?” It was stern, but I could tell Drum was just concerned.
For a moment, I thought back to how Nestor in Gardir used to call every yellow-ranked adventurer “kid” and bark at them far harsher than this.
“I’ll work hard,” Alto said.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Now, tell your master to get in line and come to the counter. He’s staring from all the way back there.”
“Thanks.”
Alto put the envelope in his bag as carefully as if it were a treasure, then stepped away from the desk.
He really could’ve just called to me. His voice carries plenty far without Alto.
I smiled wryly, waiting for my apprentice to come running back.
I joined the end of the line while Alto went to check the quest board as Drum had advised him to.
“Good morning, Drum. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused the other day.”
“You finally showed up again, Setsuna. The moment you walked in here, the whole place went quiet,” Drum said with a heavy sigh. “I never thought you were the sort of guy to show such hostility. You were angry with Nancy, but you never gave off that feeling.”
“That day, I think I went past anger altogether. Looking back now, I’m still a little surprised at myself.”
“Well, I hope I never have to feel that from you again.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“That hostility of yours could kill a man outright. Don’t go picking duels in front of me,” he warned.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He said that last remark with a completely serious look on his face, but when I answered, he seemed satisfied and moved on to business.
“You’ve got a report for me today, right? I had word from the kingdom.”
“Yes, I completed the designated request from Lypaed. Here’s the certificate.” I handed over the proof Keith had given me, and Drum gave it a quick look.
“It’s all in order,” he said, and gave me my payment.
Even though I was the one who asked them to post the request in the first place, it still felt a little odd to be the one accepting the reward. But that was just how the system worked.
Drum gave me a look when I didn’t step away after getting paid. “What is it?”
“It’s about the team you mentioned to me before.”
“Oh, that. So you decided to form one?”
“Yes, I’d like to register it today.”
“Sure thing.”
I gave him the paperwork. I’d already filled out all the documents, and Drum briskly flipped through them. “Just to confirm, your name is listed as the leader, Alto as the sub-leader, and no other members. Correct?”
“That’s right.”
“You left the team base blank. You sure about that?”
The team base was simply the designated headquarters where the members gathered. Registering one with the guild came with several benefits. If you didn’t list a location because your house was private and a client wanted to send something to the team, it couldn’t be delivered. In that case, the guild would accept packages and forward them to you.
“It would be convenient, but we don’t really live anywhere,” I said.
“Some teams list inns they’re staying at and change the address all the time,” Drum said.
“Really?”
“Yeah, sure. But there are plenty of stories of people forgetting to update the registry after moving and things turning into a mess, so I don’t recommend it.”
“That doesn’t sound like something I’d want to risk, so let’s just leave it blank.”
“All right. You can always add one later if you change your mind. Just drop by whenever.”
“Okay.”
“One last thing. Are you sure about the team name?”
Before answering, I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the scene from Ragi’s backyard four days ago.
“Setsuna, it’s not the setting sun of twilight that suits you, but the light that shines at dawn.”
Those words from Ragi’s letter had stayed with me all this time. Maybe that was what he’d wanted to tell me—not to be the fading twilight, but the illuminating dawn.
Although the colors were similar, their meanings were worlds apart.
A cool breeze stirred across my cheek, ushering in the dawn of a new day.
The light of a new day beginning. The wind of a new day starting.
“Setsuna? What’s it going to be?”
I thought of that feeling and answered Drum.
“Please register us as Dawn Wind.”
The house that no longer belonged to anyone looked lonely. Both Alto and I came to a stop without meaning to.
“Master…,” Alto said quietly. I placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded, then we stepped inside together.
“We’re home,” Alto said, raising his voice so it would reach the back of the house.
There was no reply, of course, and the boy’s ears drooped.
“Welcome home,” I said softly in response. After that, we silently walked inside.
…
Once we set down our bags, I headed to the kitchen to start dinner. I told Alto he could relax and do whatever he liked, but he shook his head and said he wanted to help me.
Our first meal alone together felt almost unnaturally quiet since the lively days at the castle. Maybe it was because of that silence, but Alto started eating faster than usual and ended up choking.
“Gramps…water…”
I handed him a glass, and Alto gulped it down. He didn’t seem to realize whose name he’d just called. Once he swallowed, he got back to eating.
But after a few moments, his hand froze in midair and tears began to spill down his cheeks.
I waited silently for him to finish crying, then tried to change the mood with a question.
“Alto, is there anything you’d like to do tomorrow?”
“I don’t know about tomorrow, but right now I want to read that letter from Gramps.”
“All right.”
I couldn’t redirect his thoughts anywhere else, but the way he was dealing with saying good-bye to Ragi didn’t feel fragile or as if he would break.
“I can’t think of anything else,” he said.
“It’s okay. Let’s just take it easy. And tomorrow, how about we go look in Ragi’s room? There’s something I’m curious about.”
“There is?” He set his hands in his lap and closed his eyes like he was trying to remember.