Arthur and Calvin exchanged a glance. To avoid startling whoever was inside, Calvin ultimately stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Calvin tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible. "Hello, is this where Miss Belly lives?"
After waiting for a moment, there was no response from inside, only dead silence.
"Hello, we're adventurers from Iron Boot Town..."
Just as Calvin was about to knock again, the door creaked open a crack. A pair of wary, exhausted eyes cautiously studied them through the gap.
"What... do you want with me?" A young woman's guarded voice came from within.
"May I ask, are you Belly Brooks?" Calvin confirmed once more.
At the same time, he slowly removed the hood that covered most of his face, revealing features far more weathered and mature than they had been over a decade ago.
"I'm Calvin, a Knight who once served in Iron Boot Town."
He had thought that with such an obvious hint, the girl behind the door would recognize him, or at least recall something.
Unexpectedly, the eyes behind the crack remained full of wariness, showing no trace of recognition or sudden realization.
Yet for some reason, the girl seemed to hesitate. In the end, she slowly pushed open the door and made room for them to enter.
"I... I think I know you." She spoke softly, though uncertainty lingered in her tone.
"Come in."
This time, however, Calvin fell silent.
Not only did he fail to step inside, he frowned and stared at the girl's now fully exposed face.
He could not see the liveliness, cheerfulness, and stubbornness of that little brat from his memories. There was only the numb exhaustion worn into her by life's crushing burdens, and... the air of someone weathered by the world.