"Wait a moment." At the sound of Gase's voice, I froze in place. Before I could even ask what was happening, I saw the boy Ho appear once again, emerging silently from Gase's shadow. In that instant, I could feel it—he had used some kind of magic tied to the affinity of space. It was only a faint sensation, but impossible for me to fully understand.

The other herald moved behind me in the blink of an eye, touched my shadow with something, and then vanished again as if he had never been there at all. I immediately sensed something different within me. It wasn't painful or hostile—just unsettling, a foreign presence that felt out of place.

"What just happened?" I fixed my gaze firmly on her. "What did he do to me?" I was certain something had been done in that moment when he moved and disappeared.

"You can feel it? That's rather surprising. You truly carry two supreme affinities in that small body of yours." She looked at me coldly, as if deliberately avoiding my question.

"We're the same size." My answer drew a sharp reaction from the female herald—her Imra lashed out like a whip. I couldn't dodge, and the strike landed on my back, stinging like a lash. "I'm sorry—you can answer my questions," I apologized quickly for my insolence, then pressed her again on the matter at hand.

"He marked you with his ability. Now he can teleport into your shadow whenever he wishes." My gaze hardened, turning glacial. This was unacceptable. Before I could protest, she continued. "Don't worry, it only lasts about fourteen hours before the mark fades." Her words did nothing to reassure me. Being marked without consent was not something I could easily accept.

"Don't look at me that way, boy. This is the safest method to enter your village without drawing any suspicion. We are heralds—we must remain unseen by all." She stepped closer, pressing her right index finger lightly against my chest. "Now, go to your home. Tell your father that he has visitors. Your mother and grandmother should be in the hall with him." My eyes widened. How did she know about my mother and grandmother?

"I know many things. That is what it means to be a herald." She did not let me question further, nor even speak. "Go now—you have ten minutes to tell them." Since it was night, they were surely gathered for dinner, or had just finished. Finding them would not be difficult.

I sprinted toward the village gates while she lingered a few hundred meters away, concealed in the darkness. I greeted the guards briefly and made my way to my home without delay. Fortune favored me—I found my parents and grandmother still finishing their meal together.

"Son, you're back! It has been four days." My mother rose from her chair and wrapped me in a fierce embrace. Four days? Had so much time passed? I had read about dungeons where time flowed differently; it seemed this had been one of them.

"Hello, Mother." I returned her strong embrace, then gently pulled away so I could deliver my message. There were only minutes left before the promised time would expire.

"Some heralds will arrive within minutes. We must move to a place where no one can hear or see us." My words froze the entire room. The three of them stared at me in shock, exchanging tense glances. The fault was mine—news of this magnitude should not have been delivered so bluntly.

"How do you know about the heralds, Maki?" My father's expression was puzzled, wary.

"I will explain about the dungeon and how I met them afterward. For now, there isn't much time." The three of them nodded hesitantly, still unsure, but willing to trust me.

"Let's go to my study. It has a strong enchantment that prevents sound from leaving." My grandmother reacted first, her sharp mind grasping the urgency of the situation. They all knew I would never joke about something like this. She had always been the quickest thinker in moments like these.

We moved to her study, and seconds later, Gase and Ho emerged silently from my shadow. This time I could feel the fluctuations of space more clearly—likely because Ho had used his ability directly on me. In that moment, my mind and my cube clicked together. This was the answer—this was how I would eventually acquire the pseudo Law of Space.

I had no time to dwell on the revelation, because I noticed the frozen expressions of my parents and grandmother. They greeted the two heralds politely, but then fell into silence, as if death itself had walked into the room.

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"Baronet Vichag and family, we are two heralds of Marquis Timal. It is a pleasure to meet you." The three of them nodded stiffly. "Before we begin, I ask and expect that this meeting remain a secret from all others." Gase's voice sounded completely different now—serious, focused, carrying tremendous weight in every word. It was the opposite of the casual tone she had used with me on our way back.

"We will keep this meeting to ourselves. You were never here," my father answered first, his face set in solemn lines—so different from his usual easy smile.

"We place our trust in you, and not only in us, but also in Marquis Timal." At those words, my family's expressions grew even more severe.

"You may relax. Nothing bad has happened in your territory, and you are not in any trouble." Relief softened their shoulders slightly. "We have been investigating several regions for signs of trouble, and by chance, we discovered a Fallen Hero's dungeon." At those words, every gaze shifted to me.

"We were greatly surprised when we could not enter due to a powerful barrier of protection." Her left hand rested gently on my right shoulder. "But the greater surprise was seeing a child enter and complete it." My family looked at me in confusion, their emotions difficult to read.

"Do not be alarmed. There is no problem with this. Marquis Timal holds Maki in great esteem. He was very pleased to hear that it was he who used that dungeon." Her words gradually lost their oppressive weight, her tone softening to ease the tension from my family.

The conversation proved simpler than I had expected. They limited themselves to questions about how the territory was faring, whether there had been any recent attacks, or if there were any suspects regarding the last incident.

Gase shared her findings about the surrounding lands—nothing unusual, only the same types of monsters as always, none of them above the levels expected for this region. That visibly calmed my family.

They would remain near the city for two more days before departing. My parents offered them rooms, but they refused. Instead, I was told to meet them early the next morning at the place where Ho had marked my shadow. They did not explain why—only gave me the time and place.

Then they vanished as swiftly as they had appeared. Through the entire exchange, Ho never uttered a single word.

"That was… exhausting," my father muttered as he collapsed onto the sofa, looking mentally drained from the encounter.

"Little one, you never fail to surprise me. You always return home with some woman." My grandmother's teasing made me roll my eyes, though it eased the tension in the room. My mother chuckled as well, her shoulders more relaxed now.

"This time it's a herald. Even I am shocked, son." She joined in on the jest, and I shook my head at both of them.

"So, son," my father said from his comfortable seat. "Tell us how the dungeon went."

I began to explain everything step by step, recounting each floor and every event in detail. They listened silently, only interrupting to ask questions when something wasn't clear. I told them about the rewards, and why I had chosen the Guide toward a Law of Space.

"Then, when I left the dungeon, this happened…" I explained everything from the moment the blades touched my neck until the heralds appeared in our house.

"That sounds fun. I wish I could enter a dungeon again." My father gazed at the ceiling with a wistful smile, his adventurous spirit unquenched despite the years, though his priorities had shifted.

"You can't, dear. You're no longer the reckless young man you once were." My mother laughed softly, then turned to me. "I am surprised by how much Marquis Julio values you, son. He must truly love his niece, and he is earning your trust." Over time, she had blended her serenity with my father's mischief, and together they made moments like these lively and warm.

"Little one, don't betray the Marquis's trust. You are intelligent enough to know how important heralds are, and how impossible it is to ever meet them." My grandmother's words struck home. They were rarer than unicorn horns—many heads of noble houses lived their entire lives without ever encountering one, let alone speaking with them.

"So, what do you think of my choice?" I asked, looking from one face to the next. "I'd like to hear your opinions and advice. It will help me if I ever find another dungeon like this in the future." Finding a Fallen Hero's dungeon was even rarer than meeting a herald—I could only trust my luck.

"I believe it was the right decision, son. All of the options were good, but the chance to draw closer to a supreme affinity was the wisest choice." My mother was the first to speak.

"I doubt you'll be so lucky to find another one in the future, little one. But as for your choice, I agree with your mother. I could never evolve my pseudo Law, and I hope you can succeed where I failed." My grandmother smiled gently, her agreement warming my heart.

"Son, follow your instincts. If you face another choice in the future, you'll do well. I trust you." My father's words were typical of him, yet they rang true. My instincts had always been sharp, and I would follow them when the time came.

My grandmother and mother sent two orbs—one of light, one of ice—striking my father's forehead. He accepted them as his punishment for such a simple piece of advice. "Son, I'm glad to see you've inherited the intelligence of both me and your grandmother." That made the three of us laugh.

It felt good to be with family again. I wanted to hold onto these moments forever. A sudden flicker passed through my thoughts, stirring the memory of my brothers and friends. I could only hope they were all safe and well.

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