Once we decided to go rescue Neme, we set off for the south road. There was an entire country between ours and Aifan, so it would be a long trip. On top of that, all we had to go on was a single name. We didn’t know anything about the cardinal or what his motives were. Not even the Arrivers were reckless enough to charge into enemy territory without a plan. We wanted to retrieve Neme as soon as possible, but we knew next to nothing about Aifan. So in order to save Neme, step one was finding an informant.
During our tussle with Leyfa, I’d relied on Eisha and Hugel. That had all been domestic trouble, however, and we were now headed abroad in the opposite direction of the capital where they lived. Just making contact with them would take days, and waiting for a reply would take several more. Rushing off in haste wasn’t smart, but we really didn’t have time to wait around. And so I was thinking of relying on someone else—someone who I’d heard had moved to the small country between Puriff and Aifan. She wasn’t an Aifan resident, but I figured she had to know more than we did.
We arrived in the small town where she lived and checked in at the only inn around. It was already evening. With the sun dipping into the western sky, I made for her house alone. It looked completely ordinary. A small, cozy building. Hanging plants decorated the space under the eaves. A window was aglow with a faint light from inside. I rang the brand new powder blue doorbell and waited several moments for a familiar face to answer.
“...Huh?!” she exclaimed when she saw me.
“It’s been a while,” I replied.
“What are you doing here...?”
“Are you that surprised?”
“I just never thought I’d see you in these parts... I suppose I can’t be too surprised when I told you where I was moving, but I didn’t think you’d actually come see me, Girl Snatcher!”
“That name brings back memories, Master.”
That’s right—the person I was meeting was the teacher Jin had introduced me to back in Puriff. It was Riece, the woman who’d taught me how to fight like a thief. It had been two years since we’d seen each other. The last time we’d spoken was after Jin died. I’d lost a teammate, my goal, and my direction—and when I went to see her, she’d told me she was quitting adventuring. She’d also told me she was thinking of returning to her hometown in a small country en route to Aifan.
Two years was so long and yet so short. I hadn’t changed much in that time, but that wasn’t the case for Riece. Her hair was longer now and her voice wasn’t as excited as it used to be. What stood out the most, though, was her apron. I had a strong mental image of her from her adventuring days, so it felt out of place.
“It does, doesn’t it? Oh, but they call you the Sage Snatcher now, don’t they? I saw it in the newspaper.”
“Huh? That story reached all the way here?”
“Izaar’s Seventh Sage Selection is an event of international interest, you know? Plus, I was curious about what my old pupil was up to.”
“I see...”
“So should I call you the Sage Snatcher now too?”
“It’s fine. You can use what you always used to.”
I was already having trouble connecting with her like we used to. If she started calling me something different on top of that, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to talk to her the same way anymore.
“So, what’s up? What brings you here?” she asked.
“There’s something I’d like to consult you about, but I was also just hoping to catch up. Are you free right now, Master?”
“The house is a bit messy... And I’m in the middle of making dinner, but hang on. I’ll finish things up and we can go to a nearby cafe to talk.”
“All right.”
“Wait for me there, will you?”
Riece gave me directions and then disappeared back inside her house. I headed to the cafe and ordered a coffee while I waited. Thinking back on it, Riece had told me she was quitting at a cafe too, hadn’t she? As I was pondering that coincidence, she appeared at the store and took the seat across from me. It seemed she’d had the same thought...
“We met at a cafe like this last time too, didn’t we?” she joked.
“We did indeed.”
“This one’s a lot smaller and emptier in comparison, though,” she chuckled, ordering a coffee for herself. Once her drink arrived, she spoke up again. “Didn’t you say you were going to quit adventuring as well?”
“Yeah, but one thing led to another and now I’m back in the dungeon. How about you, Master?”
“See for yourself.” Riece placed her left hand on the table. The silver band on her ring finger sparkled in the light. “I got married.”
“...I figured as much. Congratulations.”
I’d had my suspicions when I saw her house. She’d quit adventuring because she wanted to get married and live a normal life. The plate on her door was inscribed with a different last name, and she hadn’t invited me inside.