It was morning, and Yuna and Nerium woke up before Yukki. They observed Yukki still sleeping with amusement.
"Oh? I've never seen Yukki oversleep before," Yuna remarked, a playful smile on her face.
"Well, something happened last night," Nerium explained.
"Huh? Did something happen without me?" Yuna asked in a hushed tone.
"It's unrelated to you, so don't worry," Nerium responded before heading to the changing room. Yuna pouted playfully in response.
"Geesh... Something definitely happened last night," Yuna mumbled to herself as she continued to observe Yukki still sleeping.
"Mhm..." Yukki started to stir, stretching her body as she woke up.
"Good morning," Yukki greeted with a yawn, and Yuna smiled at her.
"Good morning, Yukki," Yuna replied, still wearing a warm smile. Yukki's reaction was adorable, a moment of pause before she became embarrassed and blushed.
"Y-Y-Yuna?! Did I oversleep?!" Yukki suddenly exclaimed, panicking.
"Yes, you did, but don't worry, it's not too late," Yuna assured her.
"T-Thank God..." Yukki sighed in relief.
"Yukki, good morning," Nerium emerged from the changing room.
"Good morning... yawn..." Yukki responded, yawning.
"I guess you're still tired," Yuna observed.
"I've just been so worried about our future that I couldn't sleep at all," Yukki explained, rubbing her eyes.
"Why are you worried?" Yuna inquired, curious. Yukki suddenly got flustered.
"N-No reason at all! Hehe," Yukki nervously laughed.
"Right," Yuna replied with a hint of skepticism, but decided to let it go.
"Anyway, let's go downstairs and eat!" Yuna suggested with enthusiasm. Both Nerium and Yukki nodded in agreement. They headed downstairs and entered a bustling dining area filled with adventurers staying at the inn.
"Whoa... It's packed. There are barely any free seats left," Yuna whispered.
"Yeah, it's really crowded," Nerium concurred.
"I think I saw one free table over there!" Yukki pointed to an empty spot.
"Perfect!" Yuna exclaimed, dashing towards the table.
"Y-Yuna!" Yukki and Nerium hurriedly followed Yuna.
"Mine-" Yuna was about to touch the table when she was abruptly kicked hard and sent flying.
"Hmph! How dare you try to steal our table," one of a group of adventurers who kicked Yuna declared.
"Nggh... that hurt... not? Never mind, it doesn't hurt at all..." Yuna muttered, quickly standing up.
"Anyway, who are you?" Yuna asked with an uninterested tone, facing the group of adventurers.
"H-How dare you!" one of them exclaimed, irritated.
"Enough." A man in shiny armor emerged from behind the group, stepping forward.
"B-But, boss!" one of his companions protested.
"Enough is enough. The table is already taken, can't you see?" the knight chastised his companion.
"Tch..." The protester grumbled and fell silent. Yuna stretched, unfazed by the altercation.
"And? Who are you?" Yuna inquired, her tone still indifferent.
"Pardon me for my members' reckless behavior. I'm Max, an adventurer," the man introduced himself.
"Well, I'm Yuna, also an adventurer," Yuna greeted with a smile.
"A child?" Max muttered under his breath.
"How rude! I'm a fully-fledged adventurer," Yuna pouted, though her demeanor was playful. Nerium and Yukki finally caught up to Yuna.
"Yuna, you shouldn't just leave like that... Wait... whaaa?!" Yukki stared at Yuna's scratches.
"Y-Yuna... what happened to you?!" Yukki rushed to her side.
"It's nothing, Yukki. I'm fine!" Yuna assured, using her hand to wipe away the scratches, which disappeared instantly.
"See? Good as new!" Yuna declared, and Max was slightly taken aback.
"An impressive healing magic. I suppose you are indeed a fully-fledged adventurer," Max remarked, a smile forming on his lips.
"Then, we'll be going now. I need to give these guys a lecture," Max said as he began to leave, his companions following suit.
"Yuna... Who was that?" Yukki asked, concerned.
"He's Max, an adventurer. I checked his stats. He's as strong as a behemoth, but a bit weaker than Nerium," Yuna informed.
"Well, you can't really compare a human to me," Nerium chimed in.
"Fair enough," Yuna chuckled as she finally took a seat at a table. They ordered their food, had breakfast, and then headed to the guild to meet with the guildmaster.
"Hey, guildmaster, we're here," Yuna announced, barging into his office without knocking.
"Y-Yuna... That's rude," Yukki said, worried.
"At least learn to knock," Zack chided Yuna gently.
"This is what you signed up for, so bear with it," Yuna retorted, nonchalantly taking a seat on the couch.
"Sigh... Anyway, I'm glad you decided to help this country," Zack said, his expression warm.
"We're not doing it for free; we need information," Yuna stated matter-of-factly.
"Understood. Ask me anything later. For now, tell me everything," Zack said, taking a seat on the opposite couch.
"Sigh..." Yuna sighed before launching into the story about Darkness. (P.S.: If you want to read her story, it will be in a later chapter.)
"I see... Darkness... She's going to be troublesome," Zack mused.
"It's not just troublesome; she is the trouble," Yuna quipped.
"If what you say is true, can you lend us your assistance?" Zack requested.
"Not just me. I'm not the only one on this mission," Yuna grinned at him.
"Yeah, it will also include you, Nerium, and Yukki," Zack said, directing his attention to the two standing behind Yuna.
"O-Of course. We're just following Yuna," Yukki quickly replied.
"Don't put it like you're my slaves or something. Come on, you're my saviors, so be casual with me," Yuna smiled at Yukki.
"It's hard to do that when you're so different," Yukki chuckled softly.
"Anyway, give us a complete map of the country and mark the most critical areas," Yuna demanded, her gaze sharp as she turned back to Zack.
"Right." Zack retrieved a large map from under his desk and spread it out on the table.
"T-This...!" Yuna stared at the map, noticing that every corner of the city had been marked.
"This is worse than I thought," Yuna murmured.
"Yeah, that's why we need your help," Zack affirmed.
"With the state this critical, I have no reason to refuse. Space magic can spread faster than any bacteria," Yuna commented, her expression filled with unease.
"This is not even space magic anymore; it's a curse," Nerium added.
"Wait... If we connect the marked areas, it will shape up like this..." Yuna started to draw lines connecting each marked location, forming a pattern that resembled a magic circle.
"She... really thinks ahead," Yuna mumbled, wiping her forehead with a hint of nervousness.
"What... is this something bad?" Zack, Nerium, and Yukki exchanged worried glances.
"Yeah... Something really bad," Yuna replied, her tone and demeanor grave.
"Have you ever heard of Lost Magic?" Yuna smiled nervously, prompting the others to break into cold sweat.
"Exactly... She's trying to replicate a lost magic" Yuna say in terror in her face