That morning, the day before the Prince's celebration take place, a briefing was held in the Adventurers Guild informing Adventurers about the possibility of the monsters making their move to threathen the Kingdom and other countries.
"Thank you, you may now go back to your quests."
The Guild Master worded out the last few words of the briefing, and the Adventures went back doing the usual. Among those Adventurers, Selene and Itsuo were also there and heard everything during the briefing.
"A demon, huh...?"
"Hey, Itsuo, what should we do?"
Itsuo gaze over his right hand as he responded to Selene.
"Compared to what we are last month, it was troublesome to fight those hobgoblins and other monsters by ourselves. But, during that month, thanks to Christa, I was able to improve and become stronger. With our current strength, we should be able to handle even a Wither Bee now."
"Yeah, I was also able to improve my magic abilities, thanks to Christa." Selene remarked.
"Well, there's still no way for us to face something like a demon. That's why, we'll let the others who are capable to fight them have it. But that won't be for long."
Itsuo clenches his fist as he continues.
"I will continue my training and become stronger. I will become stronger and help the people in need like she does. One day, I will be able to stand on the same level as her, I swear."
"In that case, I will continue training and become stronger, too. I can't let myself lagging behind you two, right?" Selene responded with great motivation.
"Well then, we now have a goal. And the first step to make it happen is to clear a monster quest! If we finish this quest, we'll be able to rank up to gold!"
"Yes!"
Just as Itsuo get a hold of a quest that was approved by the receptionist everything seem to be going smoothly, until Selene and Itsuo heard a voice. A voice that spells out Christa's name.
"I'm sure... that Christa will bring chaos, not just to Reilaea, but to the whole land of Alteria!"
...
"Christa...?" Selene's voice draws the attention of the lady and the people who she's talking to. Continuing her words, Selene asks the lady.
"Chaos... What happened? Did something happen to Christa...?"
"You're..."
"...Christa's party."
"What do you mean by Christa bringing chaos?"
The exact same day before the Prince's celebration continued as Itsuo and Selene steps in into the discussion between the Guild Master and Sieghart's Party.
"How did I not think about this, if I want to know her true identity, I should ask the people who knows her."
As the words escape her lips, Eileen walks forward, as she approach the two young Adventurers.
"Hey, you two have been with the Adventurer called Christa for a while now, right? The one who defeated an Emerald leveled Monster." Said, Eileen with an intimidating tone with her words.
"Y-yes, what about it?" Itsuo felt rather intimidated by the woman in a black witch robe. Her presence alone is enough to make Itsuo stutter.
"I am Eileen Hirstein, a member of Sieghart's party."
"I know you. you're one of the five Adventurers who went and defeat the demon and it's army 15 years ago."
Meanwhile, as Selene replies rather calmly stating that she knows her and the other four behind the woman with her light-orange long feather hair, Eileen felt that it'll be more easy to talk it out with them, and so she said:
"Now then, let's make this quick."
"..."
"Who is Christa? Where does she live? What kind of a person is she? How much did you know about her? What is her objective? What does she want to achieve?"
The two young Adventurers could not say a word in response due to Eileen's light-purple eyes glaring at the two as if she's telling them that she will not tolerate any lies, and her rapid questions that she spat out so fast it's like she is in a hurry.
Seeing the two young Adventurers speechless, Lira approaches Eileen from the back and said:
"Eileen, calm down. There's no way they can answer your questions if you throw it all out at once."
"That's right. You need to take it easy, otherwise you'll not get the response that you want."
Sieghart comes in, following Lira's words, afterwards he took a glance directly at Eileen's face with a concern look.
Eileen let out a deep sigh and responded to the two in agreement.
"I understand, I'm sorry."
Seeing the woman finally calming down, Itsuo's nervousness have disappeared. He then thought to himself:
"So that's the feeling of facing someone that is regarded as one of the five strongest. It's like I am facing a giant wall that will never break no matter what I do..."
Itsuo took a glance from the five Diamond Rank Adventurers in front of him.
"...Is this what it means to be a Diamond Rank Adventurer?"
Soon as itsuo finished his thoughts, the Guild Master speaks and invites them to continue the conversation at the second floor.
"If you guys want to continue, let's go do it at the second floor. I'm sorry, but I'm also curious at what kind of a person this Christa is. Do you mind if you two follow us?"
"Yes, we'll join you, Guild Master."
Selene gave a quick reply, that which Itsuo finds it strange. He never saw this part of Selene before. And so he thought:
"Selene... I've never seen you taking actions like this so suddenly. Does she perhaps curious about what we heard from Eileen?"
"That Christa will bring chaos..."
"No, I can't help but also get curious. I want to know why that woman said something like that. I will find out why."
.
.
.
Back at the present time, at the southern wall of the capital city of Reilaea, Christa were a few steps away towards the southern gate.
"Hey, is that...?"
One of the Reilaean guards who are on duty to watch the southern gates sees Christa walking straight towards them. Thanks to the sudden rank up to Emerald, the people of Reilaea recognize her strength and that she is an Adventurer from the Adventurers' Guild of the city, and so it is easy for her to enter the Kingdom.
The Reilaean guards immediately opens the gates and gives Christa the way inside the city.
"Welcome back, Miss Christa."
"Hey! I'll go inside now, if you don't mind." Christa gave a chill reply.
"Please do so, you're always welcome to come and go into our city."
"Then, I'll get going."
The Reilaean guards then closed the gates as Christa have entered the southern district of the capital. Along the way, she began to contemplate on what to do first. Eventually, she decided to go to the blacksmith - Owen as the blacksmith's place is much closer than the Adventurers Guild.
"Alright, I guess I'll go there first."
Christa began pressing forward in a normal pace, carefully watching the streets as she goes. As she walks further, she realized, there's no one around the streets besides her.
"It's too quiet. It must be because they are at the inner district all going wild with the party."
The only thing she could hear and see are the fireworks that are flying endlessly in the skies. It was all seem normal at the time, but soon after the fireworks ended and the only thing she could hear is the sound of her feet as it takes a step on the quiet road one at a time.
That is, until she heard footsteps charging forward in front of her. Stepping out of the shadows, the faces of Itsuo and Selene were revealed.
"Itsuo, Selene!"
"Hey, Christa, it's been a few days since we last saw you."
"Yeah. We're glad you're doing okay."
Seeing her two friends after being gone for a quest brings a smile on Christa's face. However, the girl with the crimson eyes felt something odd between the two. Christa is used to Selene charging and wrapping her arms cheerfully on her whenever they meet-up in the neighborhood. While Itsuo would always follow behind the girl with a smile.
But now, the two doesn't seem to try and even approach her, as they stand still from where they showed up and never moved a leg since. What's more, the look in their eyes seemed like they are worried about something.
"What's wrong, you two? You both are acting kinda strange."
"N-no we're fine..."
Could not speak clearly, nor even look at her straight. This sudden change brought concern to Christa.
"What's happening here...?"
Christa quietly asks to herself just as about Itsuo began to speak, asking the girl in red clothes where she is heading. Which then Christa gave a straightforward reply, telling the guy in front of him that she's on her way towards the alchemist who made the quest she took - Owen.
"T-then, would you mind if we come, too?"
"Well, I don't mind at all."
Despite being bothered by the two Adventurers' weird acting, Christa agreed them to accompany her on her way to the blacksmith's place.
As they walk across the quiet street, attentively watching Christa from behind, Itsuo reminded of what happened yesterday in the Adventurers Guild briefing.