The morning sun had begun to climb higher when Asiel, Yrion, and Silver left the quiet riverside house and began their journey toward the Eastern Forest. The road gradually shifted from stone to dirt, and the distant tree line stretched across the horizon like a dark green wall.
The three walked side by side in silence for a while.
Then Yrion suddenly spoke.
"Asiel… will you lead the party this time?"
Asiel stopped for a moment, surprised. "What? Why? You lead better than me."
Yrion shook his head slightly. "This isn't about leadership skill. Once we enter the forest, we'll run into other adventurer parties. Some of them are powerful." He glanced ahead calmly. "Power influences many things in this world — respect, authority, even cooperation."
Asiel frowned slightly.
"Even if I'm better at leading," Yrion continued, "I'm still only D-rank. People won't take us seriously if I'm the one in front."
He then looked directly at Asiel.
"You have more Kairo than I do. Because you're C-rank. That means you should lead."
Asiel nodded slowly and they continued walking.
After a few moments, however, he asked something that made both Yrion and Silver freeze in place.
"So… what exactly is Kairo?"
Both of them stared at him.
Then they looked at each other.
Then back at him.
"Seriously?" Silver said, disbelief written all over his face. "You're a C-rank mage… and you don't know what Kairo is?"
They stopped walking completely.
Silver sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Alright… we'll explain. But first, Asiel — close your eyes."
Asiel blinked. "Why?"
"Just do it," Yrion said.
Asiel obeyed and closed his eyes.
"Now," Silver continued calmly, "try to feel everything around you. Don't think about magic or spells. Just feel the energy around your body."
Asiel focused.
The wind brushing past his skin.The faint vibration of the ground beneath his feet. The quiet life hidden inside the forest ahead. Something… deeper.
"Now open your eyes," Silver said.
Asiel did.
"Whoa…"
Before him, the world looked slightly different.
Around Yrion's body flickered a flame-like aura, steady and powerful. Silver had one as well, though it was smaller and calmer.
The energy moved around them like living air.
"Is… this Kairo?" Asiel asked.
Silver nodded.
"Yes. Though I honestly don't understand how you reached C-rank without knowing this."
He continued explaining as they began walking again.
"Kairo is the fundamental force of nature. It's the energy that allows living beings to use magic or perform extraordinary physical feats."
"As a mage, you convert Kairo through your connection with the elements. Warriors like Yrion channel it through their bodies and weapons."
Silver gestured toward Yrion.
"The amount of Kairo someone can control usually determines their adventurer rank. Everyone has some Kairo inside them, but through physical training or mental discipline, people can increase the amount they hold."
"That's also why," he added, "when your Kairo runs low, you feel exhausted — both physically and mentally."
Asiel listened carefully.
"So… that's Kairo," he murmured.
"That's the simplest explanation," Silver finished. "Now let's keep moving."
Not long after, the three finally arrived at the gateway of the Eastern Forest.
Tall wooden barricades marked the boundary where the road ended and the dangerous wilderness began.
But they weren't alone.
A party of four adventurers was already standing near the entrance, checking their equipment.
Asiel instinctively straightened his posture.
His expression turned serious, calm, confident — doing his best to appear like a proper leader.
Then he looked at the group's leader.
The moment Asiel focused his sight, he could see it clearly.
A large, powerful Kairo aura burning around the man — far stronger than Silver's… and possibly even stronger than his own.
Asiel narrowed his eyes slightly.
Is he… a C-rank like me?
The forest ahead remained silent, but the hunt for the minions was about to begin.