Aldoria: Am I a hero...or not?

{{Forest – Just Outside Duskbane}}

A booming explosion had rocked the area moments ago, sending birds screeching into the sky and shaking the very ground beneath Jin's feet.

His instincts screamed at him, something was very wrong.

Without hesitation, Jin rushed forward, weaving between towering trees, his black cloak billowing behind him. His boots pounded against the earth as he sprinted toward the fading blinding light that had erupted through the dense forest.

And then—

He skidded to a stop.

His masked eyes locked onto a very unexpected sight.

Tristan.

Standing in the middle of the destruction.

Completely undressed.

Jin froze as every thought in his mind came to a screeching halt.

Tristan's fair skin and toned yet feminine figure practically burned itself into his memory against his will.

His brain short-circuited. His entire soul screamed for him to look away, but for a solid three seconds, he simply stood there.

And as if the gods of misfortune were watching.

Tristan turned her head.

Their eyes locked.

For a moment, the world froze.

Then—

"KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

Tristan's scream shattered the silence as she frantically covered herself with her hands, her face turning as red as her fiery hair.

Jin immediately spun around, whipping his cloak off and extending it behind him like he was handing a sacred artifact to a cursed spirit.

"Take it! Just—just take it!" he said, his voice tight and his posture rigid.

Tristan snatched the cloak and wrapped it around herself, pulling it tightly over her shoulders.

Her face burned with humiliation.

Jin, meanwhile, was suffering in silence behind his mask.

His nose? Bleeding.

His face? Red as crimson.

His mind? Corrupted.

His honor? In shambles.

[Jin.exe has stopped working.] System added.

But just when he thought this couldn't get any worse.

"Oi! What's going on here?!"

Jin stiffened.

From between the trees, two heavily armed city guards came rushing toward them, their metal armor clanking loudly with every step.

The moment they saw the scene before them.

Jin standing cloakless, his masked face slightly turned away, blood dropping from his chin, while Tristan, red-faced, was pulling his cloak tightly around herself.

The guards slowed to a stop.

They blinked.

Then, they exchanged glances.

The taller of the two, a burly man with a thick mustache, gave Jin a knowing smirk.

"Well, well, well…" he muttered, crossing his arms. "What do we have here?"

The other guard, a younger man with short brown hair, raised an eyebrow and snorted.

"I swear, younglings these days have no shame."

Jin's entire soul left his body.

Tristan, meanwhile, looked like she wanted to die on the spot.

"W-Wait! It's not what it looks like!" she stammered, her voice an octave higher than usual.

The mustached guard tilted his head. "Oh? So it's not what it looks like?"

Tristan shook her head rapidly.

"…So you're telling me you two weren't, you know…" The younger guard wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Kael's mind nearly imploded.

"It's a misunderstanding!" Tristan practically screamed, her entire body trembling. "I-I wasn't—We weren't—He just—!!"

The guards grinned.

"Ah, don't worry, lass," the mustached guard said, waving a hand. "We were all young once. We get it."

Jin's soul was crumbling.

Tristan clutched his cloak so tightly that the fabric nearly ripped.

"NO, YOU DON'T!" she shouted, stomping her foot.

The younger guard nudged Jin's shoulder.

"You could've at least waited until you were out of the danger zone, mate," he said with a teasing grin.

Jin's entire body stiffened.

Then, without a word, he turned toward the trees, as if contemplating running away and never coming back.

This was rock bottom.

{{Forest – Awkward Walk of Shame}}

After several minutes of painful explanations and intense embarrassment, Jin and Tristan were finally left alone.

"…I hate everything," Tristan muttered under her breath, her head buried in her hands.

Jin exhaled deeply.

"I'd ask what you were doing out here," he said, "but honestly? I'm afraid of the answer."

Tristan peeked at him through her fingers, still red-faced. "I… I don't want to talk about it."

Jin sighed.

"Fine. But let's at least get you actual clothes. That cloak isn't going to cut it."

Tristan nodded weakly.

Together, they walked out of the forest, heading toward the capital, hoping to erase this entire event from their memories.

{{Duskban – Clothing Store}}

Jin stood outside the shop, arms crossed, waiting.

After a few minutes, Tristan stepped out, now dressed in a comfortable, fitted adventurer's outfit, a white blouse, dark trousers, and a crimson waistcoat.

She shifted awkwardly before looking up at Jin.

"…Sorry."

Jin blinked. "For what?"

"For… making the guards misunderstand," she mumbled, scratching her cheek. "That was beyond humiliating."

Jin sighed.

"It's fine," he said. "I'm more curious about what actually happened with that explosion."

Tristan hesitated.

"…I don't know," she admitted. "I—It just happened."

Jin narrowed his eyes.

"…Right."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Tristan perked up.

"Oh! Since we're here…" She looked at him hopefully. "Can we team up, please~~"

Jin exhaled.

For a moment, he thought about refusing.

But then he looked at her.

This clumsy, reckless girl who kept falling into trouble left and right.

<…She's going to get herself killed if I don't keep an eye on her.>

Jin let out a long, suffering sigh.

"…Fine."

Tristan's face lit up like a child receiving a festival gift.

"Really?!"

Jin nodded.

"But if something like today happens again…" he warned.

Tristan waved her hands. "It won't! I promise!"

Jin wasn't convinced.

<…She's absolutely going to drag me into another mess.>

"…Let's just go to the guild," he muttered.

And with that, the two of them headed toward the Ironclad Adventurer's Guild.