Not long after Joan's story concluded, Madelyn and Dunn woke up from their slumber and approached Joan and Asa.
They shared their packed meals and left the town hall together.
Asa and Joan gazed upon the surroundings.
Old, weathered houses, an empty square, and their own homes adorned with paintings and writings.
It was as if this place was their true hometown.
They couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as they saw the community, once vibrant, now abandoned due to betrayal.
Asa found herself grappling with a single question deep within her heart – would she ever return to this underground city in the future? Something within her felt reluctant to leave this place behind forever.
But what reasons did she have for a potential return? Should she stay here with Dan after she find him? After all, this was his hometown.
And then there was Dan, her estranged younger brother who needed to know his origins. He had to learn that the sword she now carried was a relic passed down from his mother.
As Asa walked side by side with Joan, Madelyn and Dunn engaged in a minor debate ahead of them, bickering as usual.
Her eyes fixated on Dunn's back.
Were her suspicions correct? Was Dunn indeed Dan? But if he was, why didn't Dunn seem to recognize Asa if he truly was Dan? Could his memory be lost?
As the group ascended the stairs to return to the upper ground, Asa took a deep breath, trying not to dwell on the moment when tears had streamed down her face and she had screamed for help from her unresponsive family as water keeps leaking down to her little underground town.
Sensing Asa's shifting emotions, Joan, without turning to look at her, tried to console her. "It's all in the past now. There's no use dwelling on it."
In truth, Joan's words irked Asa slightly. What did he mean by saying there was no use thinking about the past? Everything, even if it was gone, deserved to be mourned and remembered.
But Asa understood Joan's good intentions, so she chose not to respond.
After emerging from the underground town, they all fell back into their original formation, with Asa and Joan leading in front and Madelyn protected by Dunn behind them.
The sky had unveiled its finest stars, shimmering to illuminate the Earth, and the wind seemed to welcome the arrival of the four from underground.
As usual, the journey back was faster than the journey of going there. They encountered several crys along the way, but the three members of the group easily and swiftly dealt with them.
Within a couple of hours, they emerged from the forest.
"Madelyn, are you tired? Do you want to take a short break?" Asa asked as she matched her pace with Madelyn, who appeared slightly pale.
Madelyn shook her head, "No, it's okay, big sis. I'm just a bit scared because we kept encountering Crys."
Asa gently patted Madelyn's back, nodding in understanding, "Tell me if you need a rest, okay? Our journey to the Antara Gate is still about 30 minutes away."
"would you like me to carry you?" Dunn offered, purely out of kindness, as he felt sorry for Madelyn exhaustion that seems to be physically and mentally.
Madelyn was the beloved sister of one of the Main Pillars, and Dunn figured she must have been pampered a lot.
Their journey had been long and quite strenuous, so it was understandable if Madelyn felt tired and scared.
Dunn's mission was to protect Madelyn, so he believed his concern and willingness to help were grounded in clear reasoning.
However, Madelyn's response was unexpected. "Ew," she said, turning to Dunn with a disgusted expression that mocked his kindness.
"I..." Dunn couldn't believe that was her response to his goodwill.
Asa chuckled at their interaction and let the two of them continue their playful banter.
Perhaps it was their bickering that would make Madelyn feel better, rather than taking a rest.
Thirty minutes passed swiftly as Asa enjoyed the free entertainment of a spirited yet warm argument between two teenagers.
Upon reaching the Antara Gate, the guards, who were members of the Black Pillar, warmly welcomed them.
"Leader!"
"Brother Dunn!"
They exclaimed, greeting the two Black Pillar members.
Dunn grinned broadly and greeted them back, while Asa simply smiled at her comrades.
The Black Pillar members invited the group to rest inside their outpost, offering them a glass of cold water.
"How have things been at Antara lately?" Asa inquired of one of the Black Pillar members.
"It seems there's been an increase in the number of Crys, and we've noticed they're stronger than usual," he replied.
Asa was already aware of this and nodded. "How much of an increase in Crys' strength do you estimate?"
The member pondered for a moment. "Perhaps around 15%? Not too much of a significant, but we can feel it."
Asa nodded again, aligning with her calculations. Indeed, the new type of Crys she had encountered in the Enchanted Mead Woods exhibited a 10~15% increase in power compared to the usual Crys.
It might not be a significant difference, but it was wise to remain vigilant and treat it as a serious matter without unnecessarily alarming the residents.
"No one spread this to the residents, right?" Asa sought assurance.
"From us, the Black Pillar, no. However, there was an announcement from the Main Pillar about this two days ago, urging residents to be cautious," he explained.
"Huh?" Asa was taken aback by this revelation.
Were the Main Pillar really that foolish, or did they not trust the Black Pillar enough to the point where they had to issue an announcement and alarm the residents like this?
"Dumb move," Dunn commented, equally perplexed as Asa.
Joan and Madelyn remained silent, not saying a word, but they understood why Asa and Dunn seemed frustrated.
Asa sighed, "I'll discuss this with the Main Pillars later when we report the mission's results."