“Liar”.

The woman raised her right hand and started to concentrate her mana and start to cast a spell. Jin, who witnessed that, could only stand there motionlessly. However, her body could not endure it any longer. She was clutching her heart, gasping for breath.

“Gahh,, huu,, haa,,”.

“Are you alright”.

Jin tries to jump from the window to inspect the woman.

“Don’t come near me!”.

The woman shouted before coughing, and Jin just stood there like a scarecrow. The coughing subsided and the woman back to glare at Jin, wary of his presence.

“Let me ask you again. Who are you?”.

“My name is Jin and the reason for me to do it is..".

Jin sighed before telling the woman what he had been doing all along. He didn’t dare to look away from her gaze and just face it head-on. Afraid to become suspected. After Jin finished telling his piece. The woman's eyes turn golden for a second before they change back to a green colour.

The woman before him seems familiar, she is the woman in the pendant Nina owns, but her appearance is different from what he remembers. The current her now had a pale face and blue veins appeared on her skin. 

“So thank you for caring for my daughter. Then what are you doing here?”.

“I am planning to help Nina and you”.

Again her eyes that green turn into gold for a second. “What is that? Did my eyes play tricks on me?”. Jin thought.

“You can’t. I have been poisoned, and it's a high-class poison”.

“Poison? I thought you were ill?”.

The woman looked at Jin before sighing.

“I hid the truth from my daughter. The truth is the medicine she gave to me is a poison itself”.

“What!”. Jin shouted while opening his eyes wide. "Then why are you keeping quiet?“.

“Are you stupid? How could I say something that might hurt her”.

“Ah, right”.

Jin understood everything after hearing her every word. Nina worked hard every day selling a scrap of herb to buy her mother medicine. The truth is it was the poison itself she was given, not the cure. It could break her heart apart from the guilt alone. So her mother is just trying to endure it until maybe a miracle appears on her doorstep. "So Nina is being deceived all along ''. Jin clutched his hands. "That man is dead".

“So you understand now right!”.

The woman tries to tell Jin something but he is lost in thought. "Maybe the poison Nina brought is just a small dosage, so she can survive until now. Good thing she could still endure it, but if it was a poison, where could I find the cure? Should I buy a potion or something  or maybe ask some priest who had a high skill on their healing skill. If it's that maybe she could..”. Jin muttered in his mind. 

“Owch”.

He felt a burning sensation on his forehead. only to find the woman is pointing her finger forward, finishing her spell casting.

“What was that for?”.

Jin protested while rubbing his aching forehead. 

“No, you are not responding to what I said so.. Anyway the case is closed you can’t cure me so..”.

“I think I can probably help you to cure your poisoned state”.

Jin interrupts the woman's words. The woman who heard Jin's words opened her eyes wide and turned her head sideways to look at him. The atmosphere turned silent suddenly. No one dares to utter a single word. When the woman opened her mouth trying to speak her mind. The sound of the open door from the front house made the two bodies jolted.

“Quickly leave this place”.

“Yes you are right. Right, I will come again tomorrow so be patient until then, bye”.

Jin dashed away from the place. leaving the dumbfounded face of the woman. After a while, the woman chuckled and laughed, “What an amusing kid. but..”. the woman muttered.

“Mama I bought our food”.

Nina entered the room showing her cute smile. The woman also smiled, extended her right hand toward Nina and petted her head.

“Thank you, Nina”.

“Um, eh? Why is the window open?”.

Nina, who noticed the window opened hurriedly, went before it and then closed it. While her mother keeps staring at the now-closed window a shadow from that kid keeps flashing before her eyes. “..Can he find the cure for me”. She looked toward her palm clenching it before putting it on her forehead. “Please, help us!. I beg of you!”. Her sorrow muttering echoed inside her mind. 

The day is already in the afternoon with the sky turning a bit yellowish and the sun shifted to the west a bit. Jin who is now walking with a hurried footstep arrived before the adventure guild building. After he escapes Nina's house he immediately comes to the guild to report his quest progress. Entering inside he spotted a lot of adventure crowds in the tavern celebrating their success for today's quest. Jin also can see a line in every counter available at the guild. He stood in line waiting for his turn. 

While waiting he observed the other adventurer, there was someone who was joking around, with his other friend at the same party. While others play arm wrestling to test each other's strength. The inside is filled with laughter and makes the atmosphere lively. 

“Next”.

Jun's turn finally came. He stood before the receptionist Layla whom he met this morning. 

“Oh, you are back. How was your mission?”.

“I am here to report that”.

Jin put his right hand inside his pouch before taking his spoils of the day.

“Here, thirty cobra herbs”.

Layla was stunned at first but soon went back to her usual business mode.

“Please wait a moment”.

“No problem”.

Layla begins to inspect the herbs one at a time. until she finished all, write something on the paper below, before she put something on the tray.

“Here is your reward. Please check it”.

Jin counted, there were 6 silver coins on it.

“Yes it was perfect. Then see you next time”.

“See you next time. Be careful on your way home”.

Jin put the money inside his pouch before turning his back and leaving the building. 

“Ah! I forgot about the rabbit I hunted. What should I do with it?”. While walking on the main road toward the north. Jin thought. “Let’s cook it at home”. Jin, who is already feeling hungry, imagines it sprinting and arrives at home not long after. He passed the gate and arrived at the front door. Jin grabbed the doorknob before pushing it and entering inside.

“I am home”.

“Welcome home sweetheart”.

“Mother! You surprise me”.

Marina greeted him as soon as he stepped his foot inside the house. 

“So how was your first day as an adventure? Be sure to tell me later okay!”.

“Okay, Mother I promise”.

“Good, you should take a bath first”.

“I will do that”.

Jin went toward the bathroom but eventually stopped his steps.

“Mother? Where are you going?”.

“Um? Of course to see are there any injuries in your body”.

“But I intend to take a bath”.

“Then?”.

She said that as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Jin facepalmed, sighing.

“No Mother, I need to take a bath and I want to do it alone”.

“No can do son. Your mother here would not let you get away so easily”.

(“What is her problem? This mother of mine is something else?” Jin thought).

It became a ruckus in front of the bath. but it eventually stopped by the appearance of Ryan. Thanks to him, Jin can enjoy his relaxing bath alone.

***

The midnight family now gather around on the dining table. The participants are Ryan, Marina, Jin, Arnold, and lastly Irena. They sat on the chairs while listening to Jin's story. Jin told them how his day was, from the start. Then the conversation about his rank-up test came.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Uncle Roland, Father?”.

“Yeah, I have completely forgotten about him”. Ryan scratched his back head.

“Indeed, it's been a while since we could talk together like we used to”.

Arnold replied with a rare smile that appeared on his face. Usually, he has a deadpan expression. keeping the calm demeanour of a head butler, but today was a special occasion so he broke that character and returned to his true self.

“You're right husband. Now we are busy with each other's business unlike back then”.

Irena cast her gaze downward, probably reminiscing about the past. For the record Arnold and Irena are married, and they have a son who is now becoming my first brother attendant. 

Despite all the other gatherings, people here are reminiscing about the past. Only one person put a serious gaze while mumbling.

“.Fufufufu, He dared to do that to my son. Wait until I see him in person. I am going to fry him to crisp”.

Jin heard his mother mumbling. put his hands together like praying, “Uncle Roland, I pray for your safety”. Jin continued his story until it was time he started to tell them what he encountered.

“There is something I need to tell you, everyone”.

The truth is Jin is still hesitating about telling this, but he has a promise to fulfill so.

“What, Jin?”.

“..”.

“Young master, what happened?”.

“Tell us, sweetheart”.

"Don't hesitate. Tell them and ask for their help", Jin thought. “Okay, so it was like this..”.

Jin began to tell them the story. A knitted brows appeared from the four faces that heard his story. of them sowing a frown on their face except Jin.

“So Irena, I need your help to cure her. I already made a promise to her. So can you do it?”.

“I can’t say much until I come to see the person myself, but..”.

Irena turns her gaze to Ryan asking for his permit.

“You may go, Irena, Help Jin resolve his problems”.

“Yes, my lord!”.

“Arnold, you go with them tomorrow. Make sure you guard them!”.

“Understood”.

“Me too!”.

Marina raised her hand high, but her expectation was soon betrayed by Ryan's words.

“No, honey, tomorrow is an important day. Have you forgotten it?”.

“Tomorrow? ..Ah, right I forgot”.

Jin who didn’t follow their conversation asked them.

“What exactly is happening tomorrow?”.

Ryan met Jin's gaze before smiling like a mischievous kid.

“Your two brothers will be coming home tomorrow”.

“Say what?”.