The morning after camping, Luna spread out a map and spoke. "Before we return to Lost Claret, I'd like to confirm the mountain path ahead." Sheryl stifled a yawn and combed through her mahogany hair with her fingers while peering at the map. Her amber eyes narrowed, stopping at a particular point. "...Wait a second. This symbol—isn't that a hot spring?" "It's a mineral spring marker," Luna replied. "A hot spring?!" Her tone completely changed. Leon watched their exchange from the corner of his eye as he stamped out the remaining embers of the morning fire. "A hot spring after sleeping outdoors wouldn't be bad, right? I want to wash off the dirt and smoke smell that's seeped into my bones," Sheryl said. "The objective is to confirm the mountain path," Luna countered. "The hot spring is on the route we need to check anyway, so stopping by is only natural. Come on, balancing duty with rest—that's the mark of a seasoned traveler," Sheryl argued. "The mark of a...traveler," Luna repeated. Luna's eyes narrowed, and her fingertips trembled slightly. She was wavering. Which meant she hadn't completely rejected the idea. Leon smiled slightly as he packed his belongings. "Well, soaking in a hot spring might ease the heat from the brand a bit," he said. Both women looked at Leon almost simultaneously. "...Let's go," Luna said. "That was quick," Sheryl replied. --- About an hour up the mountain path, the hot spring lay quietly hidden away. Beyond the rocky terrain where the faint smell of sulfur drifted, there were two natural pools formed in the bedrock. One was simply divided by a wooden partition, bearing signs of previous use. White steam rose, and the moss around it glowed green. "This isn't mixed bathing, right? Just checking," Sheryl said. "There's a partition," Luna confirmed. "Unfortunate," Sheryl sighed. "Don't say that," Luna protested. Leon silently headed toward the male pool. He placed his removed gloves on a rock. The back of his left hand was exposed to the morning air. The brand glowed faintly. The residual heat from last night's battle still lingered slightly. He slowly immersed his feet in the water. Hot. But a pleasant heat. As he sank in up to his waist, he felt his tense muscles gradually loosening. The fatigue accumulated from camping and combat slowly dissolved. Leon leaned his back against a rock and looked up at the sky. The ridge of the Ash Peak Mountains floated black against the cloudy sky. (Two of them, huh.) Three days ago, he never imagined this situation. Acting alongside a fairy swordsman and a worldly mage while controlling the brand's power. The brand pulsed gently. Then, a voice came from beyond the partition. "...Leon, got a minute?" Sheryl called. "What is it?" he replied. "Can you show me your hand? I'm curious about the brand," she said. "Show you? Are you coming over here?" Leon asked. "Not through the partition. I'm clothed, so don't worry," she assured him. After a moment, Sheryl's face appeared from behind a rock. She was indeed clothed—though only in a thin fabric so damp it was nearly transparent, her mahogany hair wet and clinging to her shoulders. Leon hesitated for a moment about where to look, then chose the sky. Sheryl crouched at the edge of the rock, her gaze falling on Leon's left hand. "Show me," she said. Leon lifted his left hand from the water. The brand glowed more vividly than usual, perhaps reacting to the hot spring's heat. Sheryl's fingertip gently traced the edge of the brand. In that instant, an electric sensation ran through Leon's wrist. Her fingers were slender, warm, and somehow careful. "...Just as I thought. The reaction's changing," Sheryl murmured. "What can you tell?" Leon asked. "You used it a bit in the last battle, right? The spell pattern's been carved one level deeper. A sacrifice brand becomes more established each time you use it. It becomes part of your body," she explained. Her voice was quiet. No usual banter. Leon looked at his own hand. The brand was simply there. "Aren't you afraid of me?" he asked. "Afraid? Why would I be?" "I'm a man with power I might not be able to control," Leon said. Sheryl thought for a moment, then lifted the corner of her mouth. Her beauty mark became more prominent. "I wouldn't want to touch someone I thought was scary," she said simply. Leon had no response. Then, from beyond the partition, Luna's voice came flying. "Sheryl, are you over there?!" "It's an investigation. Professional judgment was necessary," Sheryl called back. "What kind of mage conducts investigations fully clothed?! Come back right now!!" "I'm coming, just a bit longer—" "How much longer? Tell me in seconds!!" "...Fifty seconds." "That's too short! One hundred seconds!!" "Why am I being negotiated with?" Sheryl muttered. Leon couldn't help but laugh. His shoulders shook. It had been a while since he'd laughed like this. Sheryl also tried to suppress it, pressing her mouth, but couldn't quite hide a small laugh. "I'm going," she said. Just as Sheryl started to stand, her foot slipped. "—!" Leon reflexively reached out, grabbing her arm. Her body, losing balance in the water, was pulled toward Leon. For a moment, they were close. The scent of sweet fragrant wood. Sheryl's wet hair brushed against Leon's jaw. Her warm body temperature transmitted through his arm. "...Thanks," she said softly. Her voice was lower than usual. Leon released his arm. The brand pulsed stronger than before. He couldn't tell if it was from the power or something else entirely. "Be careful," he said. Sheryl said nothing and returned beyond the partition. --- By the time the three had left the hot spring and started walking the mountain path, the sky had grown slightly brighter. Luna walked ahead, casually glancing back. Sheryl and Leon were walking side by side. The air between them seemed somehow different from usual. (That earlier moment...) Luna turned forward. Her fingertips trembled slightly—her usual habit, but it felt different this time. (Sheryl does things like that naturally, so...) She tried to convince herself, but it didn't quite work. Her pale purple eyes remained fixed on the mountain path ahead, while something inside her tried to make sense of it. From behind, Leon's low voice reached her. "Luna, you're setting a fast pace," he said. "...Am I?" she replied. "Did the hot spring drain you too much?" he asked. Sheryl's small laugh sounded. Luna sighed and slowed her pace slightly. The distance between the three naturally shortened. "I'd like to know more about the brand," Luna said. "Now?" Leon asked. "We can talk while walking," she replied. Leon thought for a moment before answering. "To be honest, I don't fully understand it either. The heat increases each time I use it. So does the urge to fight. I'm getting better at controlling it, but...it's not certain," he said. Luna glanced at Leon sideways, then spoke quietly. "If control is difficult, why do you keep using it?" she asked. "To learn control, I have to use it. If I don't, I'll never understand," Leon replied. Luna fell silent for a while. Sheryl opened her mouth. "Well, I think that's right. But—" she began, then stopped. "But?" Luna prompted. "Control practice requires a calming barrier. A spell formation to suppress the brand if it starts to go out of control. Something I'm good at," Sheryl explained. She didn't continue the thought. But the meaning came through. Leon looked at both their faces in turn. Luna's pale purple eyes. Sheryl's amber eyes. Both looking straight at him. His chest grew heavy. A heavy feeling, but not an unpleasant one. Like sharing a burden with someone—that kind of sensation. "...So I'm asking for your help?" Leon said. "That was always the plan," Sheryl replied. Luna, still facing forward, spoke quietly. "Mine too," she said. The three walked side by side. The mountain path was narrow, with trees pressing in from both sides. The ridge of the Ash Peak Mountains began to appear through breaks in the clouds. Leon clenched his left hand. The brand pulsed quietly. Controlling this power. That was the only answer he could give now. What lay beyond that, he didn't know yet. What the sacrifice brand would ultimately "demand" as a price—not everything Luna had read in the texts had been revealed. But for now, these two were here. That was something warmer than tonight's campfire, something that existed within Leon.