Hours passed inside the cave, and Mark finally recovered from the poison.
Thanks to a combination of his Ash Manipulation and the healing elixir, his body had almost fully healed—except for his hand, which was still made of ash. At least it could move now.
He slowly opened his eyes and immediately noticed Rosemary, fast asleep beside him.
It looked like she'd stayed awake to keep an eye on him in case his condition worsened... but had eventually dozed off from exhaustion.
Mark sat up, worry on his face. "Is she okay?"
DING.
> [Rosemary is okay. She's just tired from waiting for you to wake up.]
Mark blinked. "She really waited that long...?"
He leaned closer, hovering over her sleeping face. Her breathing was soft, her expression calm.
"She's actually... kinda cute," he muttered to himself.
Suddenly—
"Haaah?!"
SMACK!
Mark was sent flying into the cave wall, his skull cracking the stone on impact.
Rosemary sat up, wide-eyed. "I—I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! You were just so close!"
Mark slowly stood from the rubble, brushing dust off his clothes. "Don't worry. That one's on me. I probably shouldn't have gotten that close…"
Trying to shake off the pain, he turned toward the cave entrance. But then paused. "Hey, Rosemary… can you check if that guy's still out there?"
Rosemary puffed her chest proudly. "No need. I already disrupted the mana in the forest. He won't be able to track us."
Mark raised a brow. "Wait… you can do that?"
She grinned. "Of course. I am an SSS-Class adventurer, after all."
DING.
> [Rosemary used an ability known as Mana Field. By spreading her mana throughout the air, she can disrupt mana flow—making it nearly impossible to be tracked via mana sensing.]
> [Note: To cover the entire forest requires a significant amount of mana. Rosemary currently possesses double your mana capacity and used most of it to mask your presence. This likely contributed to her current fatigue.]
Mark glanced over, concerned. "You used that much mana?"
Rosemary smiled as she tried to stand. "Yeah, but I'm good—don't worry."
Her legs shook… then gave out.
Mark caught her before she could hit the ground. "You really shouldn't push yourself so hard."
She blushed as he held her up. "Y-Yeah, but... we need to get to Regalia…"
"I'll carry you. Just tell me the direction."
He lifted her with ease, cradling her in his arms as they walked toward the mouth of the cave.
"You don't have to carry me," she mumbled, embarrassed. "I can walk…"
Mark smiled. "You took care of me earlier. It's my turn now."
Rosemary looked down, cheeks flushed a deeper red. "Thank you," she whispered, pulling her fox mask over her face to hide her expression.
Mark glanced down at her again. "Wait… what happened to your cloak?"
Rosemary looked away. "D-Don't worry about it."
(…She'd tossed it after he threw up on her back.)
The two continued through the forest, one carrying the other, until the gates of Regalia finally appeared on the horizon.
The city of Regalia was enormous—an architectural marvel that resembled a medieval metropolis. Towering castles pierced the skyline, their walls lined with golden patterns that shimmered with mana. Some were guarded by massive golems, their armor etched with intricate glyphs, mana leaking from their joints in streams of glowing blue and white flame.
Lavish mansions lined the streets. It was clear—this city belonged to the elite. There was no sign of poverty here.
As Mark and Rosemary stepped through the grand gates, Rosemary pointed toward a tall white building. "Let's stop at that hospital. They should have high-grade mana potions."
Mark nodded. "Alright," he replied, adjusting his grip as he carried her inside.
A nurse greeted them warmly. After Mark quickly explained Rosemary's condition, she smiled reassuringly. "Oh, nothing too serious. No permanent damage. We'll get you a high-mana potion, and you'll be good as new."
Mark sighed in relief and set Rosemary down gently in a nearby chair. A nurse handed her a crystal vial glowing with condensed mana.
Rosemary drank it in one gulp.
Instantly, a surge of magic coursed through her. Her fatigue faded, her strength returned. She stood confidently, stretching her arms.
"All set. Let's head to the guild," she said, already making her way to the door.
Mark stepped forward. "Wait, shouldn't you rest a bit first?"
She turned and waved him off. "No need. We've got a mission to complete. Rest can wait."
"…Alright," Mark replied.
They made their way toward the Adventurer's Guild.
Compared to the last town, Regalia's guild looked like a fortress. The structure towered above the rest of the city like a royal castle. A massive mechanical dragon spiraled around one of the towers, its body glowing faintly with artificial mana.
Mark stared in awe. "What is that?"
Rosemary answered with a hint of pride. "That's the Dragon Golem. Regalia's guild has some of the best defenses in the continent."
Inside the guild hall, the atmosphere was chaotic. Adventurers rushed back and forth—bickering about missions, dragging in strange loot, carrying oversized weapons or monster parts. The place was alive with energy.
Mark followed Rosemary through the crowd to the front desk. She took the lead, her name carrying weight in these parts.
"I'm Rosemary. SSS-Rank adventurer from the neighboring town. We need to speak with your Guild Master."
The receptionist looked up, eyes lighting up with recognition. "Oh! Of course, Miss Rosemary. You're well known here—especially after that time you helped us during the hydra attack."
She glanced down a hallway. "The Guild Master is in his office. He was speaking with someone, but they should be finished by now. You can head on in."
Mark and Rosemary made their way down the long corridor toward the Guildmaster's office. At the end stood a pair of towering wooden doors, polished to a shine and engraved with the symbol of Regalia—the spiraling form of the dragon golem, its wings spread wide across the surface.
Rosemary pushed one of the doors open, and Mark followed closely behind.
Inside, a man sat behind a heavy oak desk, shuffling through a stack of paperwork with an expression of pure annoyance. He wore polished silver armor, and from his back extended four majestic white wings. White feathers even sprouted along the sides of his face, giving him a regal but otherworldly presence.
Mark blinked in confusion.
"Wait… is he a bird?" he thought.
Ding.
> [Incorrect. He is a Sky Dragon hybrid—similar to you, who is an Ash Dragon hybrid.]
"Oh," Mark muttered under his breath, "He's like me…"
Rosemary stepped forward with practiced confidence. "Guildmaster, we'd like to have a word with you—"
" Don't call me sir ," the man cut her off sharply without looking up. "Name's Jax. And yes, I know who you are. Rosemary, SSS-Rank. And Mark, the one Aurora spoke about in her letter ."
He dropped his pen and looked up, his steely eyes flashing. "Listen closely. I don't care about your little war. I've got my own people to protect. If Nexus hasn't attacked Regalia, then I see no reason to throw ourselves into someone else's battle. So get out."
Rosemary opened her mouth to protest. "But—"
Jax stood up and slammed his fist into the desk with a crack that echoed across the room. His voice thundered with fury. "I said get out! I'm not about to risk this city because some ancient queen wants to stir up a war. If Nexus brings war to Regalia, I'll respond then. But until that day comes, we stay neutral. That's final."
Mark stepped forward, fists clenched. "You really think Nexus won't come for Regalia? You'd rather wait for the enemy to knock down your walls than take the fight to him first?"
Jax's eyes narrowed. Then his mana erupted.
A wave of crushing pressure filled the room—blue and brilliant, dense like a storm cloud. Mark dropped to one knee, breath stolen from his lungs. Rosemary gritted her teeth, barely managing to stay upright.
The floor beneath them cracked slightly under the weight of Jax's aura.
"Get. Out," Jax growled. "Or I'll throw you out myself. I would rather negotiate peace with Nexus than join a losing war driven by desperation."
As suddenly as it had come, the mana pressure stopped. Jax sat back down and resumed signing papers as if nothing had happened.
Mark and Rosemary staggered to their feet and exited the office without another word. The doors slammed shut behind them.
Outside in the corridor, the silence stretched. Mark's voice trembled, a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"…Let's just find a place to stay for the night."
"Yeah," Rosemary replied softly, her shoulders tense.
The two left the guild and wandered the glowing streets of Regalia under the dimming sky. They eventually found a quiet inn tucked between two towering mansions.
As they entered and checked in, Mark didn't say another word. The encounter with Jax had left him cold.
And deep down… he knew the Guildmaster was wrong. Nexus would come. And when he did, there'd be no more sitting on the sidelines.