The outskirts of River Valley Town.
An unremarkable old bungalow.
"Tap, tap."
Fingertips drummed unconsciously on the map spread across the tabletop.
The faint yet clear sound drifted out with it, lingering through the dust and wood shavings in the air.
Her dark-gold long hair had been braided into a practical, neat plait and tied tightly behind her head, ensuring that even in the fiercest battle, not a single stray lock would interfere with her vision or movements;
Her skin was a healthy wheat color from years of wind and sun. Beneath her long, sharp brows, her calm, steady eyes were now filled with deep thought, as if she was pondering something.
Judging from the longsword leaning diagonally against the edge of the table beside her, as well as the light, sturdy armor on her body that had been polished bright and kept in excellent condition, this heroic-looking woman was likely a veteran adventurer.
She did not speak. She merely sat beside the only wooden table in the hut, gazing at the map before her and waiting quietly.
The air was utterly silent, but she was not the only person in the room.
On the sofa below the windowsill sat a frail young man, carefully hunched in place, his entire body wrapped in a loose brown robe.
He looked as if he had only just come of age. A few traces of immaturity still lingered on that nervous, timid face, and his complexion was a pallor rarely seen among the commoners of this world.
His eyes were large, but the unease, hesitation, and faint panic flickering inside them, along with his drifting, unsteady gaze and slightly furrowed brows, made those gentle pale-blue eyes impossible to appreciate.
A student who had just graduated and had not yet had time to encounter