The tea had just begun to cool when the door to the office opened again.

Officer Henry stepped inside, one hand resting on the brim of his hat. His posture was straight, professional, but the moment his eyes landed on me, that composure wavered.

"…You're back."

He said, disbelief clear in his voice.

I looked up from my cup.

"That's what it looks like."

For a second, he just stared. Then he let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Damn. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."

The station master cleared his throat.

"The thief has been taken into custody?"

"Yes, sir. My men will handle the rest."

Henry's gaze drifted back to me, more thoughtful now.

"Things were… tense for a while after you disappeared. But I suppose things will calm down again now that you're back."

I tilted my head slightly.

"Tense…? How?"

He hesitated, then shrugged.

"I…cannot explain it into words. It just felt like something was missing."

"I'm glad things are settling."

I said honestly.

He nodded.

"Me too."

The station master poured himself another cup of tea, offering one to Henry, who declined with a shake of his head.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. You look like a man with somewhere to be."

The station master said after a moment.

"That I am. I need to head to Duchess Isabella's estate."

I rose from my seat and set the empty cup aside.

Henry's expression shifted immediately.

"That won't be easy."

I glanced at him.

"Why not?"

He crossed his arms.

"Security's been tightened recently."

"I see."

"There are traps too. You'll want to be careful."

He added, lowering his voice.

I gave a small nod.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Henry studied my face for a moment, as if trying to gauge whether I truly meant that. Then he sighed.

"Figures you'd say that. Just… don't do anything reckless."

He straightened.

"We'll see."

I replied, which was about the most honest answer I could give.

With that, I turned toward the door. Fenrir stood up immediately, falling into step beside me as we left the office.

The cold air outside hit my face the moment we stepped out of the station. Snow crunched beneath our feet as we walked down the steps and into the street.

Fenrir glanced up at me.

"You didn't tell them much."

"I didn't need to."

"They seem worried about you."

"That's their problem."

He snorted softly but didn't argue.

We made our way to the nearest carriage stand. The driver-a middle-aged man with tired eyes and a thick scarf wrapped around his neck-looked up when we approached.

"Destination?"

"Duchess Isabella's estate."

I said.

The color drained from his face almost immediately.

"I-I can take you close, but not all the way. Is that fine with you?"

He stammered.

"That's fine. Just get us as close as you're allowed."

I replied.

He hesitated, then nodded.

"Alright. Get in."

The carriage ride was quiet.

Snow continued to fall, soft and steady, coating the rooftops and streets in white. The world outside had turned into a white blanket.

Fenrir sat beside me, tail curled neatly around his paws.

The carriage slowed as we neared the edge of the district. Finally, after a short ride, we could see it as well- Duchess Isabella's estate.

The driver brought the carriage to a stop several dozen meters away.

"This is as far as I can go. Any closer and I'll be in trouble."

He said quickly.

"That's fine."

I repeated, stepping down.

Fenrir followed, landing soundlessly beside me.

I paid the driver and watched as he hurriedly turned the carriage around, clearly eager to put distance between himself and the estate.

The moment he was gone, the air felt different.

I could feel the presence of wards even without trying. Layers upon layers, woven carefully, designed to detect, deter, and disable.

Fenrir's ears twitched.

"There are a lot of locks here."

"Seems like it."

We walked forward slowly, stopping just short of the invisible boundary. The wards hummed faintly, reacting to my presence.

I took a breath.

"Alright,"

I murmured.

"Let's do this properly."

I extended a hand and let a thin thread of power slip free, not enough to trigger alarms, just enough to… introduce myself.

The moment my foot crossed the boundary, everything went wrong.

The wards reacted violently,not with a warning, not with hesitation, but with outright rejection.

The air warped around me, pressure crashing down from all sides like invisible hands trying to tear me apart.

"Tch,"

The impact slammed into my chest, knocking the breath from my lungs.

The space around me twisted, raw magic lashing out in jagged arcs. My vision blurred. A sharp ringing filled my ears as the wards tried to tear me apart piece by piece.

Fenrir snarled and moved in front of me without hesitation. He tried to protect me, but it was of no use.

"Shopkeeper, are you alright? What help do you need? Just tell me and I will help you out…"

He growled, his body bristling with power.

But before he could act, something inside me settled. The chaos around me slowed,not stopped, but hesitated, as if the world itself was waiting for my decision.

"That won't be necessary. I am fine now."

I said quietly.

The pressure froze mid-crush. The magic hesitated, confused by my refusal to yield. I exhaled and pushed back.

Power surged from me, and the force rippled outward, colliding with the wards and overriding their hostility. Slowly, it all began to settle down.

A translucent barrier bloomed around me and Fenrir, layered with faint, glowing sigils. The tearing sensation vanished instantly, replaced by a dense stillness that wrapped around us like armor.

[Warning: Faith Points have been consumed.]

The system's voice echoed calmly in my mind.

[Use of abilities will consume faith points.]

'Tsk, what a hassle. But I guess it is better than being dead.'

Fenrir glanced at me sharply.

"You are looking weak once more, shopkeeper. Did you do anything?"

"I did what I had to. You don't have to worry about it."

I replied, already stepping forward.

"Tsk, this does not feel right. You should not force yourself like this, shopkeeper."

Fenrir warned but did not say anything else much.

The ward field flickered around us, destabilized by the forced override. A second later, alarms erupted across the estate,deep, thunderous pulses that vibrated through the ground.

Fenrir stiffened.

"That sound's bad."

"That sound means we've been noticed."

The air shifted.

A heavy pressure rolled across the field, thick and suffocating. The snow beneath our feet darkened as something massive stirred beneath the ground.

Fenrir's ears pinned back.

"Something's coming."

I turned just as the earth exploded.

A massive figure burst upward, stone and dirt flying in every direction. It was enormous,easily three times my height,its body warped and twisted by unstable magic. Its limbs bent at wrong angles, its skin etched with glowing runes that pulsed erratically.

Its eyes were empty.

Not dead.

Just… gone.

"A guardian…? But it's lost control."

I muttered.

The creature roared and charged. It crossed the distance in an instant, claws aimed straight for my chest.

Fenrir moved before I could react.

He slammed into it mid-charge, jaws clamping down on its arm with bone-crushing force. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground as he was dragged several meters before digging his claws in.

"I've got it!"

He snarled.

The creature thrashed violently, trying to shake him off.

"Fenrir,!"

He twisted sharply.

There was a sickening crack before the monster's arm tore free.

It staggered back, roaring as dark energy leaked from the wound instead of blood. The thing barely had time to recover before Fenrir lunged again, slamming into its chest and sending it crashing into a stone pillar.

The ground shook when the monster tried to rise.

It didn't get the chance.

Fenrir was on it in a heartbeat, jaws locking around its neck. Power surged through him as he bit down, and the creature went limp.

Its massive body collapsed into the snow with a heavy thud. The glowing runes faded, leaving behind nothing but a husk.

One by one, the alarms died out.

I stared at the fallen monster, then at Fenrir.

"…You knocked it out."

He released it and shook his head.

"It was unstable. I did not have to use too much power either.""

I let out a slow breath.

"That was still impressive."

He glanced away.

"Thank you. I worked hard on being able to help you out."

Fenrir admitted with a proud look on his face. He looked at me in a way that asked for praise.

So I petted his head immediately like I used to do in the past.

"You did good. Thank you for helping me out. Now, let's go and meet the duchess. I am sure she must have missed us as well."

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