Ethan allowed a faint smile to settle on his lips before turning away from Gordon and Rick.

He walked back toward his desk with measured steps, the soft sound of his boots against the floor echoing faintly in the room.

The office was quiet again, filled only with the subtle hum of the system interface and the distant noise of activity from outside the guild headquarters.

He reached his desk and began organizing the documents he had already finished.

Each file was straightened carefully, stacked in precise alignment, corners squared as if perfection could be enforced through habit alone.

It was something he had always done when his thoughts became crowded. Order on the surface helped him breathe.

They really meant it when they said they came here with a purpose.

Gordon and Rick had spoken confidently when they first arrived. Their words carried certainty, as if they were ready to shoulder responsibility again.

They spoke about restoring LionArk, about bringing it back to glory, about helping however they could.

But the truth was simple.

LionArk had already begun its rise.

The guild was no longer stumbling forward blindly. Its name was being spoken again, whispered carefully by rival guilds, mentioned in strategy discussions, and marked as a growing threat.

Ethan knew this was not something that happened by chance.

He had rebuilt it piece by piece.

"Thank you," Ethan said calmly, glancing toward them without fully turning around. "But LionArk is already back on its path now."

His voice was steady, controlled. Not dismissive, but firm.

"You don't need to help me," he added after a short pause. "Our guilds are different anyway."

The words lingered in the air.

Behind him, Gordon shifted his weight and glanced at Rick. Rick met his gaze immediately.

The two exchanged a look that carried understanding without words, then nodded almost at the same time.

That small gesture told Ethan everything.

That was not why they had come.

They were not here for casual cooperation. They were not here to reminisce or to test the waters.

They carried something heavier with them, something that had already been decided before they stepped foot into LionArk territory.

"You don't need to worry about guild affiliations," Gordon said quietly.

Ethan's hands stopped moving.

He turned around slowly, his expression sharpening as his eyes focused on Gordon. "What do you mean?"

Gordon inhaled deeply, as if steadying himself. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and raised a hand to place it gently on Ethan's shoulder.

The touch was light, familiar, grounding. Rick followed, standing at Gordon's side, silent but resolute.

"After Ashley told me everything," Gordon said, his tone calm but weighted, "Rick and I realized we couldn't keep doing nothing. We couldn't keep letting you carry everything alone."

Ethan frowned slightly. "You're not making sense."

"You didn't notice?" Rick interrupted suddenly. "Our guild tags."

Ethan lifted his head at once.

Only then did he truly see it.

There was nothing next to their names.

No emblem. No abbreviation. No sign that tied them to any guild at all.

It was empty.

A blank space where Redemption Sword's mark should have been.

For a moment, Ethan simply stared.

That can't be right…

His mind raced, replaying possibilities, rejecting each one almost immediately.

"Since when did you leave Redemption Sword?" he asked quietly.

"This morning," Gordon replied without hesitation. "Right after Ashley told me the full story. I went to Rick immediately."

"We talked for a long time," Gordon continued. "About the game. About what this place has become. About what kind of people we want to be in it."

His gaze did not waver.

"In the end, we agreed. We left Redemption Sword. For you. For LionArk."

The words struck Ethan harder than any attack ever could.

His chest tightened, breath catching as emotion surged upward without warning.

He had faced monsters, enemies, betrayal, and death itself inside this world without hesitation.

But this was different.

His vision blurred slightly. He looked away, but it did nothing to stop the warmth spreading behind his eyes.

Before Gordon could say another word, Ethan stepped forward and pulled both of them into a hug.

It was sudden, firm, and unguarded.

"Thank you," Ethan said softly. "Thank you for choosing to help me."

Gordon froze.

Of all people, he was the least prepared for this.

Back on Earth, Ethan had never shown emotion like this. He had been sharp-edged, proud, always keeping a distance even from those closest to him.

Gratitude was expressed through action, not touch.

But here, in this world, something had changed him.

Ethan was gentler now. More open. Yet the strength was still there, solid and unshaken.

Gordon smiled and wrapped his arms around Ethan's back.

"Of course," he said quietly. "That's what friends do."

Rick snorted softly and added, "We're your friends. Don't tell me you forgot."

Ethan nodded, still holding them for a moment longer before slowly letting go.

The smile on his face was genuine, warm in a way that felt rare even to him.

Seeing Gordon and Rick willing to return to LionArk was something he had hoped for, even if he never allowed himself to believe it would happen.

After everything that had gone wrong in the past, after their disappointment with Ashley, it seemed impossible.

But LionArk was not the same guild it used to be.

It had changed.

It had grown sharper, more disciplined, more alive.

And Ethan knew, deep down, that he had played a role in that transformation.

"I'm sure Ashley will be happy to hear you're joining LionArk again," Ethan said.

He motioned toward the hallway leading to Ashley's office. Gordon and Rick followed without hesitation.

When they entered the office, Ayaka and Jill were already there. Ashley sat behind her desk, reviewing data on her interface.

The moment she looked up and saw them, her attention shifted entirely.

She did not look surprised.

Ashley had already told Gordon about Ethan's condition earlier. Their visit made sense.

"You arrived sooner than I expected," Ashley said.

"Our friend is struggling," Rick replied calmly. "It would've been wrong not to come."

"Every guild is busy preparing for the Guild of Champions Event," Ashley said. "What about you two?"

Gordon and Rick fell silent, glancing toward Ethan.

He nodded.

Ayaka and Jill moved to the sofa. Jill smiled softly, happiness flickering in her eyes at the sight of Ashley reunited with old companions.

Ayaka leaned closer, whispering a question. Jill explained quietly.

"They left Redemption Sword," Ethan said.

"What?" Ashley exclaimed.

She stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly across the floor.

"Why?" she asked, stunned.

Gordon stepped forward.

"If you want the short version," he said, "we ended our journey there. And we decided to come home."

Ashley's composure shattered.

Tears streamed down her face as she walked around her desk, standing before them.

The core of LionArk was whole again.

"So you're joining LionArk?" she asked.

"Yes," Gordon replied. "If you'll have us."

"Of course," Ashley said without hesitation. "You've always belonged here."

Gordon and Rick opened their panels and applied. Ashley accepted instantly.

LARK appeared beside their names.

"You can stay in Mavelard," Ashley said. "Ask if you need anything."

"Thank you," they replied.

Then Gordon turned to Ethan.

"Before we left," he said, "we learned about Redemption Sword's plans for the Guild of Champions Event."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"If you're willing," Gordon continued, "I need to talk to you privately."

Ethan nodded.

"Come with me."

As they left the office, Ethan felt the weight of responsibility settle again.

They left Ashley's office and headed back to Ethan's workspace. Ethan assured Gordon that the place was secure and that no one would be able to overhear their conversation.

Rick came along, but he stayed outside. The conversation between Gordon and Ethan was not something he needed to hear.

In any case, Rick believed that the information Gordon was sharing would be extremely useful to Ethan.

Ethan activated the room's privacy panel, sealing his office and making it soundproof so no one else could listen in.

"No one will hear us," Ethan said as he stepped closer to Gordon.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

"This is about Arthur," Gordon explained. "He clearly doesn't like the fact that LionArk is rising again."

"The top three guilds don't like me, especially Scavenger."

"The close relationship between Redemption Sword and Scavenger led them to make agreements outside the event," Gordon replied.

Ethan stopped, his attention fixed straight ahead. Gordon's expression tightened, his brows drawn together as his focused gaze stayed on Ethan.

Gordon believed this information would be useful to Ethan, who would soon be leading LionArk's team.

He did not want Ethan to make the wrong decision, take the wrong step, or confront the enemy unprepared.

"They agreed to form a central plains alliance," Gordon said quietly, "to destroy LionArk."

Ethan was surprised. Still, he had already suspected that Redemption Sword and Scavenger would eventually set their sights on him.

What he did not expect was the timing and the scale of their intent. He never imagined that every guild in the central plains would target him at once.

"There's no other choice," Ethan said as he turned to Gordon. "You have to join my team."

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