The sun had barely risen over Harama when Samuel, Kai, Helydia, and Canon finally left the village. The morning calm was still broken by a few stubborn roosters, but the atmosphere among the group was serious, almost heavy. Canon walked at the back, cigarette in mouth, his freshly healed hand wrapped tightly in a leather glove. Thanks to the green slimes, all that remained was a thin scar – and a strange, lingering sensation of coolness in his fingers, as if the creature was still living there.
After a few hours of walking, Kai looked up at the horizon.
"We're just three or four days away from the capital, if we keep this pace," he said, consulting an old map covered in scribbles. "But we need to start thinking about a strategy to get the Heart of Aethril. We can't just… rush in."
Canon exhaled a long puff of smoke.
"What strategy? You talk like you're going to steal it."
A sharp silence fell over the group. All eyes slowly turned toward Canon. Even the birds stopped singing, as if to listen in.
Canon's eyes widened.
"…Wait… you're actually going to steal a divine relic?! From an entire nation?!"
Helydia tried to smile.
"It's not really stealing if it's for a good cause, right?"
Canon threw his arms up, cigarette between two fingers.
"Oh yeah? Great. So if I rob a bakery to feed orphans, I'm a national hero now?"
Kai shrugged.
"You joke, but that's literally what some heroes in history have done."
Samuel remained impassive, eyes fixed straight ahead.
"I need the Heart of Aethril's power… to get home. That's all that matters."
Canon groaned and rubbed his temples.
"And do you have a plan, or are you just going to walk up to the front gate and say: 'Hello, we're here for a divine burglary'?"
Kai replied without missing a beat:
"The plan is to scout the place first. The capital's huge. If the relic is displayed or sealed somewhere, we'll find a way to get close without making too much noise."
"Because stealing a sacred relic isn't already noisy?"
Samuel finally turned toward Canon, his gaze calm but firm.
"If you want to back out, do it now. But if you stay, I don't want any doubts in your mind."
Canon froze, cigarette still in his mouth. He slowly removed it, blew one last puff, and replied with a small cynical smile:
"Alright. I already lost a finger for you. If we end up imprisoned or cursed by some god, at least I'll be able to say I had a good laugh along the way."
Helydia laughed softly.
"You say that now, but wait until the guards are chasing you down screaming."
"Don't worry. I'm an expert at running. Grew up in a family of thieves."
Kai frowned.
"Seriously?"
Canon shrugged.
"No. But it sounds cool, right?"
Canon burst into laughter at his own joke, Helydia giggled as well, and Kai scratched his head at the absurdity of the conversation.
After a while, Canon slowed his pace and sat down on a flat rock, pulling out some rations from his bag. "Break time," he said with a satisfied grunt, opening a flask and taking a long drink.
As he chewed on a piece of bread, he glanced over at Samuel with a raised brow.
"By the way, Samuel… the doctor told me that after I cut off my finger, you insisted on keeping it. Mind telling me why?"
Without a word, Samuel reached into a small pouch and pulled out a folded piece of cloth. He opened it slowly, revealing two severed fingers — one belonging to Kai, and the other unmistakably Canon's, carefully preserved.
Canon stared, blinking. "Are you… collecting them or something?"
Samuel gave a faint smile. "Tell me… how do you think I spoke to you the other day without moving my lips?"
A pause. Canon looked at the finger again, then back at Samuel, realization dawning in his eyes.
"…Wait. Are you saying…?"
Samuel nodded. "It's a passive skill. As long as I'm in physical contact with a part of someone's body — even something small — I can speak to them telepathically."
Canon stared in stunned silence for a few seconds, then let out a dry laugh.
"Well, that's… creepy as hell. But damn useful."
kai and helydia shook their heads.
The group remained there for about twenty minutes, sharing a few quiet words and bites of food in the shade. The calm moment, though brief, was welcome.
Eventually, Samuel stood and brushed the dust from his coat.
"Rest's over. Let's move."
And as the sun climbed higher in the sky, they resumed their journey, leaving behind the peace of Harama… and walking toward the capital—and the greatest crime of their lives.