“Ms. Dooooooah!”
Berry clung to her, sobbing, and Doah laughed heartily.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m late again. Oh dear.”
Doah wiped Berry’s tear-streaked face and spoke softly.
“What should we do? Hm?”
“Th-Thank you… for… coming back safely…”
“Oh my, how sweet. But I’m still sorry.”
Doah gently patted Berry and kissed him.
“Whimper, whine.”
“Yeah, sorry to you too, Sea King. I needed you, but I’m glad you stayed with Berry.”
She felt relieved that Berry wasn’t left alone.
Though she felt like a poor guardian, at least it wasn’t the worst outcome.
Sea King eagerly shoved his snout between Doah’s arms holding Berry, making her laugh as she embraced them both.
“Ugh.”
Though meditation the night before had healed her somewhat, she was far from fully recovered.
Feeling a sharp pain, she frowned, and Berry, sharp as ever, immediately noticed and jumped back.
“Ms. Doah, are you hurt?”
“Just a little. I’ll be fine after a day or two of rest.”
Doah cleared her thoughts.
“I’m planning to leave today.”
“Today?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to get caught up in any more trouble.”
After all, the cursed sword had attacked, and public opinion about Khunak was bound to worsen.
Leaving the city quickly with Khunak seemed like the best course of action.
Hearing this, Berry nodded.
“Understood.”
Berry squinted contentedly as Doah stroked his hair and kissed his forehead.
After giving Sea King plenty of affection, Doah was finally freed.
She quickly freshened up and began her morning meditation.
Berry, peeking in on Doah’s meditation, quietly got to work.
‘I’ll tidy Ms. Doah’s clothes, brush her shoes, and prepare tea for later.’
While picking up Doah’s clothes, Berry froze in shock.
They were stained black.
It was the residue from the impurities Doah had expelled the night before.
‘Ms. Doah!’
Berry’s tail fluffed up in alarm.
‘Is she really okay? I can smell a faint trace of blood… Is she more hurt than she’s letting on? But I can’t wake her while she’s meditating.’
His anxiety grew.
Berry instinctively touched the purification stone hanging around his neck—
A round locket Doah had prepared for him before entered the dungeon, containing the purification stone inside.
It made him feel a little better.
Knock, knock.
At the polite knocking, Berry quickly rubbed his face with both paws and hurried to the door.
“Who’s there?”
“Berry, it’s Yan.”
“Guild master Yan!”
Berry quickly reached out and opened the door.
“Ms. Doah! Her clothes… there’s blood, like this, like this!”
Berry frantically shook the stained clothes.
Yan, equally surprised, stared at the clothes. It reminded him of how she had coughed up impurities the previous night.
Was her condition worse than he had thought?
“Where is Miss Doah? Is she still resting?”
“Sh-She’s still meditating.”
“I see.”
Yan fell into thought.
“And… we’re leaving today.”
“Leaving?”
“Yes.”
Yan froze in shock at Berry’s words, his buttery brown eyes widening.
“You’re leaving today?”
“Yes.”
Berry nodded firmly.
Yan covered his mouth with his hand, glancing at the clothes, then inside the room, and finally at the empty space before him.
After anxiously tapping his foot, he spoke.
“Understood. I’ll get everything ready.”
“Guild master Yan, do you think… Ms. Doah will really be okay?”
“She’s meditating, so she should be fine.”
Even Yan didn’t sound fully convinced by his own words, and Berry’s ears drooped.
“Okay…”
Yan gently patted his shoulder.
“Once her meditation is done, I’ll have tea and some light food brought to her.”
Hearing that, Berry nodded enthusiastically.
A little while later, Doah opened her eyes and let out a long breath. Berry, wagging his tail, trotted over.
“Ms. Doah, would you like some tea?”
“Huh? Oh, thank you.”
Doah smiled, reaching for the cup.
The tea had cooled to a lukewarm temperature, which actually felt comforting.
‘Still doesn’t taste great, though,’ she thought.
But that wasn’t the point, was it?
“Ms. Doah…”
Berry hesitated, wringing his hands together.
“Yes?”
“Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. Honestly, I was in pain yesterday. But after today’s meditation, I feel much better.”
“But… but… Ms. Doah, the blood—”
Seeing Berry burst into tears again, Doah quickly pulled him into a hug.
“Blood? Huh?”
“On… on your clothes…”
“Ah—”
Doah smiled reassuringly.
“That’s from purging impurities from my body. It’s not all blood. Real blood isn’t pitch black like ink, is it?”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, really, really.”
Doah playfully mimicked Berry’s childlike speech, making him blink in surprise.
His fur around his eyes was a mess from crying.
“Oh dear.”
Doah swallowed a bitter smile.
‘Is it really the right choice to take Berry with me? Shouldn’t I leave him somewhere safe?’
But if she said she was leaving Berry behind, the little one would surely cry his heart out again.
‘Ugh… Wait!’
Doah mentally slapped her knee as an idea struck.
‘Our next destination is Vienarie, where many Thules live. There must be a catfolk village there.’
Maybe seeing his own kind would change Berry’s mind.
And who knows? He might even come across a kind catfolk couple willing to take him in.
Surely Berry would feel more at ease living among his own people rather than staying with humans.
‘If that happens, I’ll promise to search for his sister myself.’
Doah had already submitted a request to the information guild regarding Daisy, so any news that came in would be passed along to her.
With a contingency plan in place, she felt a bit lighter.
Speaking gently, she reassured Berry.
“I purged all the impurities yesterday. I’m fine now. Let’s just stretch a little and head out.”
“Okay.”
Berry, feeling embarrassed, flapped his ears and stepped back.
‘I’m not a little kid anymore. Why do I keep crying? What if Ms. Doah thinks I’m a useless burden? What if she decides to leave me behind?’
Determined to prove his worth, Berry hurriedly cleared the teacups and laid out food with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Doah began her stretches.
Her body felt stiff all over.
‘Of course, I’m all stiff the day after a fight.’
She knew better than to overwork her once-injured areas but still needed to loosen up properly.
The memory of Josephine pressing into her sore muscles after training made her smile wistfully.
Berry quietly watched Doah.
He don’t know about anything else, but that seemed like something he could do.
“M-Ms. Doah, can I… can I try too?”
“Sure. Just don’t push yourself.”
Doah nodded, amused by Berry’s eagerness.
Berry tilted his head before mimicking Doah’s stretches.
‘Adorable!’
His tiny frame and stubby limbs made the movements irresistibly cute.
Being a catfolk, Berry was naturally flexible and managed to follow along quite well.
Once Doah finished and stood up, Berry let out a little sigh of relief and stood, too.
Smiling, Doah spoke.
“Well then, let’s leave the Adventurers’ City behind.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Since Yan had already been informed, he efficiently handled the final arrangements.
“Here’s the compiled information about the artifacts.”
“Thank you.”
“And this is a letter of recommendation. I’m not sure if you’ll meet Nyanyak Sese, but if you go to Vienarie, seek out Sandark.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You might also need this when crossing the border—a citizenship certificate guaranteed by Gran.”
“Wow… You even prepared something like this?”
“Well, I was told you’d have dinner with me when you return, Miss Doah.”
“Understood.”
Doah nodded.
<Gran 1st-Class Citizen: Kim Doah>
‘First-class? Does that mean there are second and third classes, too?’
Though curious, Doah accepted the citizenship card gratefully.
Having lived under South Korea’s resident registration system, not having an official ID here had quietly bothered her.
Now that she had something to officially confirm her identity, she felt relieved.
Robern chuckled.
“That card won’t be as reliable as a B-rank guild badge.”
Doah turned to Yan.
“Really?”
Yan smiled.
“Any adventurer’s guild branch can verify its authenticity.”
“Ah, I see.”
Doah nodded.
While other ID cards could be forged, the adventurer’s guild badge had a built-in verification system at countless guild branches, making forgery nearly impossible.
“Anyway, thanks for everything.”
Doah bowed once more to Yan, appreciating how much administrative work he had handled in such a short time.
Yan continued.
“I’ve informed the main guild offices of each country about the cursed sword. Khunak, if you cross into another nation, they might seek you out.”
Khunak gave a small nod.
“By the way, are there usually many cursed swords?”
Doah’s question made Yan shake his head.
“It’s the first time two have appeared simultaneously. There are said to be only three in total.”
“I see.”
Doah nodded thoughtfully.
‘I’ll ask Khunak about it later. He’d know best.’
Glancing between Khunak and Robern, Doah’s eyes narrowed at Robern.
“Your Majesty, are you really leaving the city dressed like that? Aren’t we supposed to slip away quietly?”
Robern, as usual, was clad in extravagant royal attire.
Was he planning to camp out dressed like that?
Robern raised an eyebrow.
“Why should I leave like some common thief?”
“Did you really have to put it that way…?”
“Have I done something wrong?”
“Well, no.”
“Then there’s no need to sneak around. Stand tall. You’re the only B-rank I’ve personally acknowledged.”
Doah sighed with exaggerated sarcasm.
“Wow. How honored I feel.”
She gave up arguing and nodded.
“Khunak, are you okay with this?”
“Yes.”
Khunak gave a brief nod.
The three of them left the adventurer’s guild together.
Just by walking together, they attracted curious glances.
Doah held Sea King’s reins and gave the basket attached to the saddle a little shake.
It was a new one she had custom-ordered while staying in Gran.
“How is it, Berry? Comfy?”
Berry’s ears perked up as he replied cheerfully.
“Yes! It’s sooo soft and cozy!”
“Good.”
Doah smiled, noticing how Berry’s pronunciation was steadily improving.
Still, she double-checked the basket, just in case.
The previous basket had a flat bottom, but this time, she’d followed Berry’s suggestion and chosen a rounder one.
The beautiful basket was tightly woven with wisteria vines, lined with soft padding inside.
It had a small handle on the inside of the lid, making it easy to open and close from within.
Berry, perfectly content, lay back in the basket, leisurely brushing his tail.
Just as Doah’s group was about to depart, someone came running toward them, panting.
“W-Wait! Please wait!”
The person wore a cute hat and had a small trumpet prominently hanging from their waist.
Khunak leaned in and whispered to Doah, explaining.
“It’s the Postal Guild.”
Doah blinked in surprise and turned to Khunak.
“There’s a postal guild here?”
“Well, how else would people send letters?”
Robern, looking genuinely confused, made Doah momentarily speechless.
“A gold trumpet—it’s a personal courier.”
Doah still didn’t fully grasp the meaning, glancing around in confusion.
The courier smiled, pulled out the trumpet, and mimed blowing it near his lips.
‘At least he’s not actually playing it. Thank goodness.’
“Are you Miss Kim Doah?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“May I see your identification?”
“Here you go.”
Doah obediently presented her citizenship card.
After verifying it, the courier respectfully handed over an envelope.
“This is mail from the Elmond Ducal House.”
The envelope was heavy, smooth, and undeniably luxurious.
Doah had received her fair share of fan letters, but none had ever come on such fine paper.
Even the invitations from the city’s market and council hadn’t been this extravagant.
The blue seal shimmered with gold dust.
Doah flipped the letter over, examining it, before looking back at the courier.
“Thank you.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, but my job also includes collecting the reply.”
Doah stared at the letter for a moment before responding.
“In that case, I won’t read it.”
“Pardon?”
The courier blinked in shock.
“I already have enough on my plate. If this isn’t something simple, I can’t give an answer right away.”
Doah extended the letter back toward the courier.
“I’ll just return it.”
“W-Wait a moment.”
The courier hesitated, glancing between Doah and the letter, before sighing.
“Well, if it’s alright with you, ma’am, you can read it at your convenience and bring your reply to any postal guild branch when you’re ready.”
Doah nodded.
“That works for me.”
“Thank you. Please sign here for receipt.”
After getting her signature, the courier bowed and left.
Doah shoved the letter into her bag without a second glance.
“Aren’t you going to read it?”
Yan asked, his expression practically shouting, I’m curious!
Doah chuckled.
“Later.”
“But… it’s from the Elmond Ducal House. Why would they contact you? Hm. What could it be about?”
“Maybe they’re requesting help with some monster extermination?”
“Usually, those requests go through the adventurer’s guild.”
Doah stuck to her initial decision—she’d read the letter later.
“Well, we’re off. Take care, Guild master. See you next time.”
“Travel safely, Miss Doah.”
Hearing the phrase ‘travel safely’ made Doah pause, then smile.
“Got it. I’ll be back.”
Vienarie bordered Gran, making the journey straightforward.
For Doah, who had grown up in a peninsula country almost like an island, crossing a border this easily felt strange.
Crossing a national border just like that?
The border itself didn’t feel much different from either side.
However, the further they moved from the border, the more the landscape changed—almost astonishingly fast.
That evening, after setting up camp by the roadside and eating their packed dinner, Doah finally opened the letter.
She leisurely chewed on a coffee-flavored candy while reading.
Suddenly, she bolted upright.
“?!”
Wait, what the hell is this supposed to mean?!
