That night, Agares walked away from Milenia's residence toward Goro's tavern. He didn't know where to go to calm his thoughts, his head still clouded and the image of Faircallen's destruction still vividly etched in his mind.

Maybe enjoying a few bottles of cheap beer from the tavern could ease his mind and guilt.

The tavern door opened; he saw there weren't many guests that night. They filled the lower floor, and not a single one occupied the seats on the upper floor.

Agares arrived, and Mel greeted him right away. Everyone already knew who Agares was and what his contributions were to the city, though there were also some citizens who believed Agares was the source of yesterday's chaos.

Before this, there had never been such a disaster. It had split the townspeople into two camps—those who liked and those who hated Agares.

"How are you, city lord?" asked Mel, already knowing what Agares would order.

She grabbed a medium-sized glass and poured beer into it. Agares accepted it and sipped slowly, clearly not enjoying the taste.

But what could he do? That tavern was the only one offering beer and a place to unwind.

"You look like a mess. What happened?" asked Mel

Sigh.

"Nothing happened. I'm just thinking about something."

"Being Miss Milenia's husband really means you have to handle a lot, huh?"

"That's not it," replied Agares.

"Then what is it?" asked Mel.

Agares fell silent again, lifting his glass and drinking the beer straight into his mouth, calming his thoughts and steadying his heart. Still, what had just happened lingered clearly in his mind.

"I don't know what advice to give if you don't tell me what's going on," Mel said.

She noticed Agares's glass was empty. She took the initiative to fill it again, nearly full.

"It's on the house."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

"It's just a gift. If you see it that way, don't drink it!" Mel snapped, snatching the glass from Agares's hand.

"Fine."

"Give me the glass."

Mel smiled. She handed the glass back to Agares while pulling out a wooden chair. She sat directly in front of Agares, drinking nothing herself.

"I remembered a sin from my past," said Agares softly.

"What happened?"

Agares stayed silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on Mel. He drank again until only half remained, and Mel allowed him to enjoy it first.

Slowly, he began to open up and told her what had happened in Faircallen, and the reason he remembered it again.

Mel listened to every sentence, reacting expressively to Agares's story. She hadn't expected that Agares had gone through so much suffering—maybe that's what shaped him into such a cold and ruthless person.

"It wasn't your fault. It was a foolish decision made by the kingdom."

"How can you be blamed for their deaths? Clearly, they died by Helderic's command," Mel explained.

"I don't know. What if I'd never gone to that village? Maybe it'd still be standing today," replied Agares.

"Maybe, but then you'd be dead."

"What do you mean?"

"It would've happened no matter what, in whatever situation and place."

Mel briefly explained the inevitability of certain outcomes. Sure, he went to that village, but even if he hadn't, he would've ended up in another village and caused destruction there instead.

Agares couldn't anticipate that—it was beyond his control. All he could do was minimize the conflict and the violence.

That way, things wouldn't get worse, and innocent people wouldn't suffer.

The man fell silent, eyes staring ahead before glancing at the beer in his glass. He wasn't stupid—he understood what Mel was saying.

The chaos that occurred in Faircallen was unavoidable, unimaginable, and unforeseen. That's what Agares hadn't realized.

Even if he had gone to a different village, the same thing would've happened—and that couldn't have been avoided due to his lack of knowledge.

"So, what should I do?"

"Stop worrying about things that are beyond your control and focus on your goal."

"That's the only way you'll release yourself from that guilt," Mel replied.

"In the end, your goal is tied to that guilt, isn't it?" Mel asked, surprising Agares.

"W-Wait. How do you know about that?"

"I'm a woman. I'm born with strong and accurate instincts."

Agares smiled and laughed, then slowly sipped his drink again. He also began to explain why the memory resurfaced—it was because of Aoi's mid-level illusion.

Mel nodded. Even though she didn't fully understand magic and its consequences, she knew who Aoi was and how close she was to Agares based on his words.

"Everyone gets carried away by power and makes mistakes. In Aoi's case, maybe that's what happened."

"But that doesn't mean you should judge her and make her feel guilty. That's just one mistake, compared to the hundreds or thousands of good things she's done for you."

Agares froze. He hadn't thought of it that way—even though he and Aoi were very close, like lifelong companions.

Aoi had helped him defeat countless monsters, heal him, and even guided Agares during the early days of his dungeon journey.

Her contributions were immeasurable, and it was selfish to blame her for just one minor mistake. It wasn't fair.

"I was truly blinded by anger," muttered Agares.

"Everyone gets angry and acts out of line. What we can do is find a way to calm that anger and fix things."

"Try talking to Aoi. She'll definitely listen to you."

Agares cleared his throat. His mind had cleared up, much more focused now, no longer disturbed—thanks to Mel's help and advice. She really had a knack for listening and giving solid advice.

Mel had gained that skill from listening to thousands of people's stories. Over time, her experience grew and her ability to deal with problems became precise.

"Thank you."

"Of course. Let me know when you two have made up."

He walked away, leaving behind three monster cores on the bar counter. Agares left the place.

Agares continued walking quickly through the main street, passing other city residents. To reach Milenia's home, he needed to walk another 15–20 minutes.

Arriving in front of the house gate, his heart pounded at the sight of Aoi curled up asleep outside the house, right at Milenia's front door.

For a moment, Agares saw Aoi's body shivering from the cold—the night air in the city was indeed chilly.

Agares smiled, feeling touched seeing Aoi sleeping there, waiting for him to return. He stepped quietly forward without making a sound. His steps stopped right in front of Aoi.

"Aoi," Agares called softly.

Hearing the familiar voice, Aoi slowly opened her eyes and saw her master standing before her, a wide, comforting smile on his face.

"Master Agares … I'm sorry."

Agares chuckled softly and knelt before Aoi, raising his hand to stroke the white fox's fur on her head.

"I'm sorry for blaming you. I was the one who asked you to show your powers. I acted selfishly."

"Forgive me, Aoi."

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