Daike, after rescuing the slave children, brings them to an orphanage, fully aware of the corrupt guards and the potential for conflict. Upon arrival, a demi-human woman greets him, asking, “What can I do for you tonight, sir?” Skeptical of her trustworthiness, Daike inquires, “Have any of your children gone missing recently?” The woman, visibly upset, responds, “Yes, sir, several, in fact.” He presses further, “Did you report it to the guards?” She replies firmly, “Of course, sir; my children mean the world to me.” Reassured by her sincerity, Daike calls out to the children waiting around a corner.

  They rush toward him, and he smiles, saying, “Don’t worry; this lady will take care of you now. I’ll come visit when I’m in the area.” At that moment, the woman spots some of her children in the group and collapses to her knees, sobbing, “Oh my darlings, where have you been?” The children chime in, “In a stinky dungeon, but big brother Daike saved us!” One child, still upset but grateful, takes Daike’s hands and asks, “Sir, how can I ever repay you?” Blushing, Daike replies, “I didn’t save them for a reward; it was the right thing to do. Taking in the others is more than enough.” The woman takes a deep breath and says, “Of course, sir. I would never turn away a child.”

  As Daike bids farewell to the children, they all shout, “Thank you, big brother!” Embarrassed, he scratches his head and turns to leave as the woman calls out, “You’re welcome here anytime, sir!” He then heads back to the inn, where he finds L’arc pacing anxiously. Daike coughs to get L’arc’s attention and asks, “What’s the matter, Master L’arc?” L’arc responds with a shaky voice, “My mother isn’t back yet.”

  Daike consoles him, saying, “She met an old friend in the city and went for a few drinks at the tavern. She’s likely passed out there.” L’arc, having never heard of his mother having any friends, is skeptical but senses Daike's sincerity and decides to trust that she will be okay, whatever she is doing.

  Later that night, Kaoru returns, and Daike recounts the evening's events. Torn between regret and gratitude for Daike having lied to L’arc, she admits, “Tonight, I became something I swore never to be again. I’m glad you didn’t tell him the truth, but I hate lying to my son.” Overcome with emotion, she looks at Daike and suddenly throws herself at him, saying, “I need to let off some steam; come to my room.” Daike eagerly accepts the invitation.

  The next morning, Kaoru pulls Daike aside and says, “Last night was a one-off.” A little disheartened, Daike replies, “I think we both needed it. No expectations here.” After turning away, he looks even more downcast and heads to the bar for a stiff drink. Noticing his demeanor, Kaoru smiles slightly and quips, “Isn’t it a bit early to be drinking?” Instantly reverting to his goofy self, Daike replies, “Sorry, master.” Kaoru sighs and mutters under her breath, “Now you’ve gone and ruined it.”

  As soon as L’arc wakes, the trio sets off for the local adventurers' guild to take on another escort mission. L’arc scans the board for something heading in their desired direction and finds a mission to escort a girl of similar age to an unmarked cave near a village on the way to his mother’s village. He decides to accept the mission and meets the client. Upon seeing L’arc, the client scoffs, “I asked for someone strong, not a boy.” His mother intervenes, saying, “Watch your tongue, girl. I won’t have anyone talk to my son like that.” The girl laughs and replies, “The little boy even travels with his mummy. Go back to the adventurers' guild and find another mission; I don’t want you.”

  Daike steps in, saying, “Excuse me, miss, but I think you’re being a bit rude. Looks can be deceiving; I can vouch for him.” The girl retorts, “And who are you supposed to be that your opinion matters?” Daike brandishes his armband to show off his rank. The girl grits her teeth and begrudgingly replies, “Fine, if a C-Rank is tagging along, I guess I’ll allow it.” Kaoru mutters under her breath, “This incorrigible brat; I’ll tear her head off.” Hearing her, Daike whispers, “I think she’s been through some ordeals; cut her some slack.” Kaoru responds, “Tch! Fine.”

  L’arc asks the girl why she wants to go to the cave. She answers with an entitled tone, “I am of dragon descent, and there are supposed to be lava crystals that enhance dragonkin's affinity for fire if they are eaten.” L’arc, excited, exclaims, “Oh, that’s amazing! I’ve never met a dragonkin before.” Again, with a smug attitude, she responds, “Yes, I am amazing. But I need to be stronger if I hope to get into Arcane, and those lava crystals will help me gain that strength.” L’arc, enamored, fires off question after question. Kaoru eventually interjects, “While I love your curiosity, if we don’t move now, it’ll be dark before we even set off.”

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  The group heads to the market to buy supplies before venturing into the cave, which lies beyond the forest outside of Fuyu City. The journey through the forest is uneventful, except for Kaoru noticing a large shadow fly overhead, which she brushes off. As they exit the forest, night falls. Deciding it’s best to make camp before entering the cave, they settle down to rest.

  The next day, they pack up camp and venture into the cave, which initially appears ordinary—almost like a wild goose chase. They reach what seems to be a dead end, leaving them with no choice but to turn back. Suddenly, a giant spider descends from the ceiling, blocking their escape. Kaoru immediately takes up arms, shouting, “Stay behind me! This monster is an anomaly; you’ll only get in my way.” Daike, familiar with anomaly monsters, quickly grabs the two children and runs for cover. The children simultaneously ask, “What’s an anomaly?” Daike explains, “It’s a monster that has survived long enough to feed on other monsters and people, gaining strength comparable to a high-rank dungeon boss.”

  L’arc asks worriedly, “Will my mother be okay?” Daike replies, “I don’t know. If I had to guess, this is A or even S rank.” Kaoru fights to keep the spider from advancing toward the children, crying out, “If I can’t defeat this monster, I need you to promise me you’ll get those children to safety.” Trembling with fear, Daike responds, “I’ll do my best, master.” The battle drags on, and it seems the spider may win. However, Kaoru is determined to protect the children and continues to fight, landing several blows that open wounds on the spider.

  As the spider secretes blood from its wounds, its natural predator, lurking in the lava caves, catches the scent and tunnels through the wall, revealing the lava caves. The tunneling causes vibrations that loosen stalactites, which fall and impale the spider, rendering it immobile. Daike rushes to intercept the lavark to prevent it from joining the fight. Kaoru calls out, “Keep it busy! It gave me an opening, but I can’t handle that right now.” Seizing her chance, Kaoru delivers a decisive blow to the spider.

  Lavark - A lavark is an aardvark that has adapted to its volcanic environment, gaining scales that protect it from the immense heat.

  With the spider defeated, Kaoru shifts her attention to the lavark, but Daike has already finished it off. With both threats neutralized and Kaoru in bad shape, they decide to leave the cave and rest.

  Daike approaches Kaoru and demands an explanation. “I think it’s time you told us who you are and why you were able to go toe-to-toe with that monster.” Kaoru sighs, “I suppose I can’t hide it anymore. I was hoping I never had to tell my son who I was.” Taking a deep breath, she continues, “I am an S-Rank adventurer and an assassin—or rather, I was. I gave it up long ago because I got sick of all the killing. I took many human lives as the ‘Mighty Dark Death,’ a name I’ve hated since its inception.”

  Daike interrupts, “Wait a goddamn minute. You’re the Dark Death? I thought that was just a campfire story to scare people.” Kaoru responds, “Nope, it’s true, and so are the stories that come with it.” Daike interjects again, “Well, from what I’ve heard, you only ever took the lives of those who deserved it. Sure, that was a lot of people, but still. It’s not like you’re a monster.” She lets out a forced laugh and replies, “Perhaps you’re right, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have all this blood on my hands—so much so that I was cursed by a fertility goddess to never be able to carry children.”

  Daike questions her, “Then what about Master L’arc?” She responds, “Are you daft? You can see I’m a dark elf, and he is human.” He replies, “Now that you mention it, I never really noticed. I was too enamored with both of your sword skills.” Turning to L’arc, she says, “I’m sorry; I never wanted you to find out like this. I’ll understand if you hate me.” L’arc, crying, lunges at her with open arms, “You’re my mother; you’ll always be my mother. I’ll never hate you.” She holds him tighter than she has ever held anything in her life, saying, “I’ll never let you go, I promise. You’re the only thing that gives my life meaning.”

  Seeing no room for her usual remarks, the dragonkin girl stands up and says, “I’m going to get some sleep. Perhaps you all should too if we’re to tackle the lava caves tomorrow.” They all nod in agreement and head to bed.