She blinked, taking a second to recognize the man before her—a middle-aged sailor with a scruffy black beard, clad in a wrinkled uniform, his eyes etched with crow’s feet from the sea winds and endless years adrift on the ocean.

  Meredith swallowed dryly, her cracked lips trembling.

  “…Meredith.”

  The captain gave a slight nod, as if confirming something, before slowly reaching into his coat and pulling out an object wrapped in yellowed waxed cloth.

  “Arcadith’s sister, right?”

  Her heart pounded. She couldn’t speak, only manage a small nod.

  The man observed her briefly before placing the parcel into her hands. It felt unnervingly heavy, as if the weight of Arcadith’s very life was pressing down upon her palms.

  “He left this behind. Before we departed.”

  Meredith could hardly breathe. She silently unwrapped the waxed fabric. Inside was a stack of old letters, their edges crinkled by seawater but the writing still intact. And the first words she saw—

  “To Meredith.”

  She clenched the letter in her hands, biting her lip to keep from sobbing at the very first line.

  "Mer, if you’re reading this… it means I didn’t make it back."

  She trembled. A sharp pain shot through her chest, as if a cold chain had tightened around her heart.

  "I hoped this wouldn’t happen. But if it has, I want you to know—it’s not because I was weak, but because some things simply cannot be won."

  She took a deep breath, but the air wouldn’t fill her lungs.

  "How have you been? Is the innkeeping going well? Don’t let customers scam you out of your money, alright? I don’t want to come back and find out you’ve been bullied."

  A choked laugh escaped her throat. “Idiot.” Always acting as if he were still here.

  But then, the next line hit her like a slap.

  "If you ever receive this letter, I need you to promise me one thing—do not look for me. No matter what, don’t search for me."

  Meredith gripped the paper tightly, her fingers pressing into its edges so hard she nearly tore it.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "I don’t know how I’ll die. But if you don’t find my body… then maybe I’m still alive. But that doesn’t mean I’m still Arcadith."

  Everything tilted. A cold shiver ran down her spine, making her fingers go numb.

  "I love you, Mer. Keep living, no matter what happens."

  Hot tears fell onto the letter. Meredith clenched her fists, biting her lip until she tasted blood. But there was still one more letter. She stared at it, her eyes burning red. It was written under a different name.

  Not far away, Raizen had never been one for tragic farewells. He didn’t like watching people cry. Didn’t care for last words or sentimental nonsense. Hated all those dramatic “live on for me” speeches.

  But when Meredith turned around, when her eyes met his—he knew this wasn’t just another grieving farewell.

  She didn’t say anything. No calling his name, no pleading. Just her eyes. Red-rimmed, but dry. And in them, something heavier than tears.

  Raizen sighed. He stepped away from the group of thugs, shoving his hands into his coat pockets, moving with a lazy indifference. But the moment Meredith held out the letter, he took it without hesitation.

  The name on the envelope made him frown.

  "To Uncle Raizen."

  He paused for a second. Then, he ripped open the letter.

  "Raizen. You must be pretty annoyed reading this, huh? I know you hate this kind of sentimental crap, but tough luck—I don’t like writing farewell letters either."

  "First of all, thank you."

  "If it weren’t for you, I never would have become an S-rank adventurer."

  Raizen snorted, a faint smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth. "S-rank? This kid really made it, huh."

  "Do you remember the first time you trained me? I was clueless back then. Just some brat who thought wielding a sword made him a hero. If you hadn’t beaten some sense into me, I’d still be running around, lost in my own stupid dreams."

  "You always told me I was too reckless. That I wasn’t ready. I argued back, trying to prove I was strong enough."

  "And now… I guess I lost."

  Raizen tightened his grip on the letter. Every word was clear, but he didn’t want to read the rest. He had a bad feeling about it.

  "But it’s fine. I don’t regret it. I lived the life I wanted."

  "There’s only one thing that worries me."

  "Meredith."

  His fingers curled tighter around the paper.

  "You know, she’s strong, but she’s still just a girl living in this rundown town. Without me, she’ll be alone."

  "So I’m asking you."

  "Take care of her."

  "You don’t have to do anything grand. Just be there, so she doesn’t have to face the world alone. I don’t want her turning around and finding nothing but emptiness."

  "I know you’ll do it. No matter how much you grumble or complain, I know you’re not heartless."

  "So, that’s that."

  "Goodbye, Uncle Raizen."

  "Thank you, for being my second father, one last time."

  Raizen folded the letter. He stood still. No cursing. No frowning. No outburst. Just his eyes, staring into nothingness, as if crushing every word he had just read.

  Meredith remained where she was, waiting. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say.

  But even though no promise was spoken aloud—Raizen knew he wasn’t going anywhere.