The morning in the royal capital was far noisier than in Rustera. The stone guild building cast long shadows under the morning sun. Merchants were already pulling carts along the streets, and adventurers walked briskly, seeking today's requests. In the guild's backyard, however, an air of quiet reigned, as if the bustle were a lie. "[nervous]...It's not working..." Leon wiped away sweat as he stared at his wooden puppet. Yesterday, he had finally grasped the sensation of its fingertip twitching ever so slightly, yet today he had already failed countless times. The wooden puppet stood rooted to the ground like a mere ornament, refusing to move. "[gentle]Don't rush it." Rock spoke as he lowered his own wooden puppet from his back. His partner's clumsy smile glinted faintly in the morning light. "[sad]But, senpai, it moved yesterday..." "[calm]That's just how it is. Even I couldn't get it to move at all in the beginning." Rock placed a hand on his wooden puppet's shoulder, his eyes taking on a distant look. "[reminiscent]I got covered in mud. Practiced for hours, and still, it wouldn't budge. I tried to give up, so many times." "[surprised]You too, senpai... had times like that?" Leon's eyes widened. "[laughing]Everyone does, probably." Rock scratched his head, looking embarrassed. Just then—. *Whirl.* Leon's wooden puppet suddenly spun around once. "[surprised]Whoa!" Carried by the momentum of its spin, the wooden puppet fell with a *thud* onto Rock's foot. "[crying]Ow, ow, ow! Wh-what the hell was that just now, you!" Rock hopped on one foot. "[laughing]I-I'm sorry! But it moved! Did you see that!?" Leon shouted joyfully. His eyes were sparkling. "[laughing]I saw, I saw! But don't step on my foot!" Rock laughed too. Their laughter echoed through the quiet air of the backyard. This was the last peaceful moment of the day. —— It happened when they finished practice and went out to the guild's main street. The moment they stepped into the crowded square, the atmosphere changed. Mixed in with the city's bustle, an unpleasant presence hung in the air. "[sarcastic]Hey, look at this." A low, sneering voice rang out. In the center of the square, near the fountain, was a group of adventurers. About five or six of them. Standing at their center was a large man. He carried a greatsword on his back, his muscular body clad in scarred leather armor. In his early twenties and already B-rank—the man who had made a laughingstock of Rock's wooden puppet at the tavern in Rustera. Mash. "[laughing]A deadweight teaching a deadweight. Look at that." Mash deliberately raised his voice. Adventurers walking nearby stopped, their gazes gathering. "[mocking]The porter who got benched over that skeleton incident is looking for a fellow failure to drag down with him now, huh?" Laughter spread through the square. Leon's shoulders trembled. Rock's feet stopped. "[cold]Hey, Puppet Master." Mash took a step forward. His large frame stood blocking Rock's path. Mash was a full head taller. "[sarcastic]Everything you're doing is pointless. Have you ever even once seen a case where a wooden puppet user played an active role? No, right? That's your answer." The words stabbed at his heart. Rock tried to say something back. He almost opened his mouth. But—. The words wouldn't come. (*I can't argue back.*) He hadn't yet produced any concrete results in the royal capital. He had the failure with the skeletons. The accusation from Glen's party—"It's your fault"—echoed deep in his ears. (*No matter what I say... it'll just sound like an excuse.*) Rock's hand trembled slightly. "[laughing]See? Can't say a thing. That's reality." Mash shrugged. His companions burst into laughter. "[mocking]Wonder if he'll last till next week. That pig's savings must be running dry." "[mocking]Or maybe he'll go back to the pigsty? Might get hired as a baggage carrier." Leon bit his lip tightly. Laughing, Mash and his group walked away. —— The crowd returned to its flow, as if nothing had happened. Rock and Leon were left standing in the middle of the square. No one looked at them. No one called out to them. They were simply being ignored. That was the value of a "Puppet Master" in this city. "[whispers]...It's because of me." Leon spoke in a trembling voice. He was looking down. His shoulders shook faintly. "[whispers]Even you, senpai... are being laughed at..." "[quiet]That's not true." Rock cut him off. But he couldn't find any more words. (*Just saying "that's not true"... doesn't prove anything.*) The back of his throat grew hot. (*It's frustrating.*) (*But I can't do anything.*) (*My wooden puppet—hasn't been able to prove anything yet.*) The silence stretched on for a long time. That's when—. "[firm]...I." Leon raised his face. His eyes were red. But—his voice alone was clear. "[firm]I believe in you, senpai." Rock's eyes turned to Leon. "[earnest]I've seen properly what your wooden puppet can do, senpai. During the goblin subjugation, it made the leader's movements faster. The archer's arrows hit with unprecedented accuracy. All of that was because you were there." Leon's voice was still trembling. But his words were direct. "[earnest]So... so, I believe in you." Rock caught his breath. Deep in his chest, something—ignited. (*"I believe in you"—that's the first time anyone's said that to me.*) Ganetta in Rustera had said, "Isn't it interesting?" Gardo had reinforced the wooden puppet without a word. Baldo had given him a letter of introduction. Liria had lent him her strength. But—to be clearly told, "I believe in you." That was a first. "...Yeah." Rock took a deep breath. He clenched his fist. The trembling—stopped. "[determined]Then, let's prove it." Rock's voice was calm. "[excited]...Huh?" "[firm]If I can't answer with words, I have no choice but to show it through action. Just like Gardo-san did for me—I'll do the same." Rock took a step forward. His destination was the guild's request board. —— The guild's request board was, as always, covered in request forms. Rock flipped through them one by one. *Goblin Subjugation*, *Herb Gathering*, *Escort Request*—all of them were routine. (*Something more—something I can prove myself with.*) His finger stopped. In the corner of the board. A single request form was posted, as if hiding from the others. The edge of the paper was slightly yellowed. Proof that no one had taken it for a long time. *Dungeon Lower Floors — Trap Disarming Request* Rock's eyes stopped on the reward section. One gold coin. (*A month's worth of inn fees.*) But—the note below it caught his eye even more. *Three scouts with Trap Detection skills have retreated with serious injuries. D-rank not accepted. C-rank or higher recommended.* "[scared]...This." Leon peered from behind and gasped. "[whispers]Senpai... it says a party was completely wiped out here..." "[serious]...Yeah." Rock picked up the request form. He confirmed the feel of the paper with his fingertips. (*Even scouts with Trap Detection skills were wiped out.*) (*If a flesh-and-blood person goes, they'll definitely get hurt.*) (*But—*) In his mind, the scene at Gardo's workshop came back to him. The reinforced wooden puppet, left there without a word. Even if it breaks—it can be fixed. "[firm]If it's a wooden puppet, even if it gets stabbed, it just breaks." Rock said. "[surprised]Huh?" "[firm]Traps are things that injure people if they step on them. But a wooden puppet—even if it gets stabbed, even if it gets blown away, it just breaks. If it breaks, you just fix it." Gardo's back surfaced in Rock's mind. Even without showing it with words, you can show it with your skill. This time—it's his turn. "[determined]This is a request only we can do." Leon flinched for a moment. But—. "...Me too." His voice was trembling. "[scared]I'll... do it too." Though trembling, Leon nodded. The two walked from the guild's request board toward the reception desk. —— Reception. Ganetta Horn looked at the request form handed to her—and furrowed her brow. Her short-cropped red hair, mixed with strands of white, shimmered in the light streaming through the window. Her golden-brown eyes meticulously traced each line of the request form. Then—those eyes pierced through Rock. "[serious]...Rock, are you serious about this?" Her voice wasn't in its usual Edokko style. It was quiet and heavy. "[serious]If you fail, you two won't get off with just serious injuries. This is—the site where three scouts with Trap Detection skills were completely wiped out." There was no mockery in Ganetta's tone. There was only—worry, and confirmation. "[firm]I understand." Rock placed a hand on the wooden puppet on his back. "[firm]Even so—I'll do it." Ganetta stared intently at Rock. Then—she looked at Leon. Leon was frozen with tension. But his eyes alone didn't look away. Ganetta—. Said nothing. She simply picked up her pen. Wordlessly, she stamped the request form with the seal of acceptance. Her expression was a mix—half worry, half trust. "[quiet]...Give it an outrageously good effort." In the end, that was all she said. Rock took the request form and nodded deeply. —— As the two left the reception desk, gazes pierced them from a corner of the guild. Mash's group had been watching the whole thing. "[mocking]Are they stupid or what?" Mash spat out. But—Rock didn't even pretend not to hear it anymore. He truly didn't hear it. Right now, he was thinking only about proving himself. (*Let's go, partner.*) In his heart, he spoke to the wooden puppet. The wooden puppet on his back was silent as always, with its clumsy smile. But—the magic stone embedded in its chest. Faintly, glowed. The next request destination was the dungeon's lower floors. An unknown realm beyond where scouts with Trap Detection skills had been wiped out. The only things they could rely on were two wooden puppets—which, even if hurt or broken, could be fixed.