After leaving her message behind, Kalyse departed without hesitation. Once outside the ruins, she began to think about what to do next.
"If I'm not mistaken, I buried several rare items in different places back then. If I can retrieve them now, they'll be a huge help—and I won't have to rely on my mana as much."
With that, Kalyse set her next objective, but then she suddenly stopped again.
"This world is already a thousand years later. Not only must many things have changed, I don't even know where I am anymore… I really should have asked those people earlier."
"Well, whatever. I'll just rely on my old memories and search first."
With that thought, Kalyse took flight. She no longer used instantaneous teleportation, having realized that spell consumed quite a bit of mana as well.
The dusk sky was dyed a deep crimson, clouds torn into thin streaks as Kalyse glided through them. The mana around her body fluctuated gently, like a compressed veil meant to minimize unnecessary consumption. She didn't fly too fast, moving while observing the world below—a world she once knew, yet now found so unfamiliar it was almost irritating.
After traveling for some time, when night had fallen, Kalyse stopped in front of a cave. However, unlike what she remembered, this was no longer a natural cave—it had been converted into a mining site by someone.
"I remember now. Because this place had a large amount of natural mana stone, I buried a stone egg here. I obtained it by chance during one of my expeditions. After researching it several times, I learned that it would undergo some kind of transformation if it absorbed enough mana—but it had to be natural mana. That's why I placed it here and then… completely forgot about it."
"If no one has touched it yet, it should've already transformed. I should go in and check."
Kalyse stepped into the cave. Cold, still air immediately rushed toward her. Although the area had been heavily altered by mining, the lingering traces of natural mana were enough for her to recognize the familiar signs.
"This is definitely the place…"
She quickened her pace, following the stone paths she remembered. Kalyse didn't care who had dug here or for what purpose—the only thing that mattered was what she had left behind.
At last, she stopped in a small open space.
The spot where the stone egg should have been.
It was gone.
Kalyse showed no surprise. She merely reached out and lightly touched the rock surface. The mana imprint she had left behind was faint, but still present.
A pale purple web of mana spread outward, tracing every remaining residue on the stone floor. Flickering images surfaced: the sound of footsteps, a metal container, a transportation spell seal… and finally, the emblem of a fortress called Nessel.
Kalyse withdrew her hand, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"So that's how it is."
Without another word, she turned and left the cave. The night wind swept past as she shot up into the sky, heading southwest.
"I may not yet know what it is, but if it's mine, then no one gets to use it without my permission!"
Not long after, Kalyse arrived at Nessel City. It was merely an ordinary human city, far smaller than the great cities she had seen in the past.
"It's definitely here. But it seems they've placed numerous magical barriers around it to prevent intrusion. These are hardly worth mentioning—but for now, I don't want to reveal myself too early."
After some thought, Kalyse landed, slipped past the guards, and entered the city as naturally as possible.
Nessel at night wasn't very lively. Only a few shops still had their lamps lit, and patrols moved along their fixed routes. The sounds of conversation, rolling wheels, and weapons lightly tapping against armor blended together into a distinctive calm—one unique to a peaceful place.
Kalyse walked along the main street, her cloak covering most of her face. Compared to the ancient, wild image in her memories, human cities now seemed… much more plain. Not grand, not imposing—but alive.
She didn't need to ask for directions. Through her own mark, Kalyse knew the item was not far away, hidden deep within a tightly sealed area at the city's center.
"A decent location… seems the one who brought it back knew its value," Kalyse thought with a faintly self-satisfied smile.
As she headed toward the city center, someone suddenly bumped into her. Before she could react, the other person spoke first.
"Sorry about that, I'm in a bit of a hurry," the girl said quickly and was about to leave—but then she stopped, stepped closer to Kalyse, and leaned in. Even with the cloak, she could see part of Kalyse's face.
"What a beautiful face!"
The girl reached out and began touching Kalyse's face, even casually rubbing it.
Caught completely off guard, Kalyse felt her anger spike, veins bulging on her forehead. Still, she restrained herself from killing this foolish human on the spot.
"Take your hands off me," Kalyse said coldly, her sharp gaze filled with warning.
"Oh, sorry! Did I make you angry?" The girl said cheerfully.
"It's just that your face really suits my taste, so I couldn't help myself. But why are you out here alone so late? Where's your family? Did you get lost? I've never seen you around before—you're new to this city, right? Do you already have a place to stay?"
"Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" She continued. "My name is Liora. I work at an inn in the city. If you don't have a place to stay yet, you can come with me. I'll ask for a discount for you, okay? A cute little girl like you shouldn't be wandering around this late. I'm just looking out for you."
Liora's nonstop chatter left Kalyse completely stunned. This was the first time anyone had ever dared to speak to her like this. Yet Liora failed to notice the killing intent lurking in Kalyse's eyes and continued rambling on.
"Enough!" Kalyse cut her off.
Liora immediately fell silent.
"My affairs are none of your concern. You'd better leave now." Kalyse said in a threatening tone.
After a moment passed without a reply, Kalyse assumed the woman had been scared off.
At that exact moment—
A punch came crashing down onto her head like a bolt from the heavens.
Kalyse froze for a split second, then reacted instantly.
"You—!" she ground out, malice clearly surfacing in her eyes as mana gathered in her hand, ready to blow this fool away.
But instead, Liora suddenly pulled her close and hugged her, patting her head gently while whispering:
"I understand. I've met many kids like you—acting tough on the outside, saying you don't need help, but actually very fragile inside. When that happens, I give them a good punch first, then use love and care to soften them up. Don't worry, I'll do the same for you."
Hearing this, Kalyse's eyelid twitched repeatedly. Strangely enough, her anger had vanished without her realizing it. Perhaps it was because she hadn't felt the warmth of another human body in a very long time, and she unconsciously let her guard down.
"Alright then. The night wind is cold—let's go back to the inn first, okay?"
With that, Liora dragged Kalyse along. By the time Kalyse came back to her senses, she found herself seated properly inside the inn, with several freshly cooked dishes already laid out on the table.
"You must be hungry, right? Don't worry, eat as much as you like. I'll settle the cost with the owner later—just make sure you eat plenty. Looking at you, there's still room for you to grow," Liora said before leaving.
After a long pause, Kalyse finally muttered, "What… just happened…?"
She stared at the food on the table. Her stomach suddenly growled in hunger, even though she had long been capable of surviving without eating.
After some hesitation, she took her first bite. It tasted surprisingly good. She took a second bite, then a third… and before she realized it, the table full of food was completely gone.
At that moment, Liora came out of the kitchen and was surprised to see everything finished.
"You eat really fast. Was the food to your liking?" She asked. "Oh, about the cost—the owner isn't here right now, but don't worry. I still have some savings, so I'll pay for this meal. You can stay the night here too. Once I'm done cleaning up, I'll arrange a room for you."
"Hmph," Kalyse snorted, cutting her off. "Do you think I'm so poor that I can't afford a meal and a place to stay?"
As she spoke, Kalyse reached into her storage space and took out a gleaming gold coin, placing it in front of Liora. Liora's expression shifted from confusion to utter shock as she hurriedly covered the coin with her hand.
"Y-you… how do you have something like this…? Are you a noble?" she whispered.
Kalyse shot her a suspicious look.
"It's just one gold coin. What's so surprising about that?"
"You don't know?" Liora asked, still stunned. "Are you from another kingdom?"
For a moment, Kalyse didn't know how to answer. She truly didn't know where she was—and she certainly couldn't talk about being from a thousand years ago.
She cleared her throat lightly. "I'm just traveling the world on an expedition."
"Oh? That's surprising," Liora said admiringly. "I thought you were just a kid who got separated from your family."
"That's just your imagination! I never said such a thing!" Kalyse snapped.
"Alright, sorry for not asking properly."
"Hmph. I'll accept your apology. Now tell me about this place—and why you seem so frightened," Kalyse said.
To Liora, Kalyse's arrogant manner and words only made her seem even cuter. But when it came to that topic, Liora hesitated, unsure how to proceed.
"Don't be afraid. I guarantee no one will be able to harm you." Kalyse said confidently, though Liora merely gave an awkward smile.
"You don't trust me?!" Kalyse glared.
"No, it's just… the story's a bit long," Liora replied. "If you want to hear it, let me finish cleaning up first. And take this back." She returned the gold coin to Kalyse.
"Hmph. You're the first one who's ever made me wait," Kalyse said—but she remained seated, doing nothing else.
Seeing this, Liora smiled and went off to finish her remaining work.