271,

When alone, Cyclone would recall every word he had said to Yuna in the past.

Unlike Little Dragon and Eileen, Yuna's troubles had become a thing of the past.

At the time when she needed someone to save her the most, Cyclone had not yet realized her existence.

Cyclone, who appeared later, was no longer the hero who saved the beauty, but just a passing stranger.

Unlike Little Dragon and Eileen, Cyclone didn't have the chance to show off and save Yuna in front of her.

But even so, for the first time, Cyclone wanted to actively get to know Yuna, to have her.

No longer relying on luck, but a direct confrontation, truly win her over.

After recuperating in Riverbranch, Cyclone was mentally and physically prepared, and also had made up his mind.

This time, Cyclone decided, for Yuna, for himself...

"I'll change once... become... Allen's hero."

With a pledge in his heart, Cyclone took the prepared horse and headed towards the entrance of the village.

Just as Cyclone was about to mount and leave, a breeze blew by, and Cabellus suddenly appeared and halted Cyclone.

"Goodness! How could you leave without saying a word?!"

"Well, how did you know I was about to leave?"

"This!"

Cyclone chuckled. Cabellus was a good friend he met here, but not someone he owed everything to.

"Take it!"

Suddenly, Cabellus threw something small to Cyclone.

It was a Tiny brooch, with a word that Cyclone didn't understand.

"What the hell! Didn't you throw this away earlier without even thinking? I saw it clearly!"

Caught in the act, Cyclone didn't expect this person to still not give up, asking Cyclone to join his so-called Excitement Guild.

"You really have a lot of these brooches, no wonder you're a poet, you have money when you need it."

"Enough, an unknown poet, poor guy, I worked hard to find it in the grass, damn it! Dare to throw it away again and see!"

"Hahaha!"

Cyclone accepted Cabellus' brooch. This time, he really shouldn't refuse, as the sincerity of the other party had moved him.

However, as Cyclone put the brooch in his pocket, he thought of something.

"But... you had money to travel to Allen City, right? So how can you suddenly say you're..."

In that instant, Cabellus' gaze shifted outward.

Cyclone immediately understood, it was a lie.

"...You... wait a minute? You haven't been to Allen City? Then how can you be so certain about my identity?"

Cyclone was curious and asked directly.

"Oh, Cyclone, my friend! Some things... it's better not to know than to know, you know~"

Cabellus laughed, while covering his eyes with one hand, trying to hide his guilt from Cyclone's gaze.

Then, seeing that Cyclone was still staring at him, Cabellus secretly glanced at the back.

A Tiny girl was in a corner of the village.

Cyclone didn't recognize her, but she was the girl who helped Cabellus flip Sister Forcia's robe back then.

But thinking carefully, it seemed that he had seen her somewhere before.

It came back to him, she was the demon girl who Little Dragon had saved with her mother.

"Cyclone, my friend, that's why I said...you are Allen's hero!"

Cyclone didn't reply to Cabellus, only responding with a smile to Cabellus's laughter.

"...When you have a chance to go to Allen City, remember to visit the red-light district, as my way of showing gratitude~"

"Oh! What's there?"

"You'll find out when you get there~"

"Tsk! But I still have something to remind you, and I want you to owe me. I need to remind you of this now."

Cyclone sighed, realizing that this person was even more petty than himself.

"Just consider it as a welcome gift for joining the Excitement Guild. Listen, when you head in the direction of Allen, remember not to make any turns or slow down."

Cabellus looked into the distance.

"In the areas that have experienced war, there will be many corpses left behind, which will attract ghouls. But as long as you ignore them and run straight, you'll be fine. They are more innocent and easily give up compared to you~"

This information unexpectedly proved useful to Cyclone, who was born far from war-torn areas.

Cyclone nodded, then turned around and mounted his horse.

Everything was ready, and Cyclone looked at Cabellus.

"Until we meet again, great poet~"

"Until we meet again, hero of Allen~"

Kicking his horse's side, Cyclone started galloping.

On the unfamiliar grassland, he didn't turn, didn't look back, and went straight ahead.

Passing through the area littered with corpses, countless ghouls blocked Cyclone's path, but he ignored them as Cabellus had advised.

Even if the ghouls noticed Cyclone, they only chased him briefly before giving up.

Soon, the horse ran through the entire night, flying like the wind.

Speeding forward on the horse, Cyclone turned into a storm, blowing towards Allen's direction.

***