Dark clouds rolled up long before the sunset.

The blue sky gradually vanished behind multiple layers of gray clouds.

An icy breeze rushed through the empty fields and bent tall grass like waves over the sea.

Jennie glanced into the distance.

"I don’t think we’ll outrun this one."

Snow raised his nose.

"The rain is near."

Roxy looked up when the cold drop landed on her forehead.

"...Too close."

Another drop fell from the sky.

Then another.

And another...

Soon gentle drizzle turned into a heavy rain.

Whoosh!

Rain rushed down from the sky and drummed upon the ground.

Strong winds dragged on cloaks and made trees rustle.

Roxy quickly tried to cover her backpack.

"My books!"

"My beloved books!"

Jennie helped her cover the bag.

"If your books get wet, you’ll cry harder than the rain."

"I will."

Snow simply looked around.

"There is shelter not far ahead."

Ahead on the road there was an ancient stone shrine.

Time had washed away its walls.

Moss grew on cracked columns.

Old vines crept up the roof.

Half of the faded carvings had disappeared under centuries of rains and winds.

Yet even being so old...

The shrine proudly stayed under the stormy sky.

Warm light flickered within its walls.

Jennie frowned.

"Someone is already here."

Snow nodded.

"I smell the tea."

Roxy blinked.

"...Tea?"

"You can smell the tea in the rain?"

"I am a wolf."

"...Right."

Three of them entered the shrine.

The noise of the rain instantly decreased.

The old shrine was very simple.

Small stone altar was placed at its center.

The old murals decorated its walls. They depicted the travelers praying before their journeys.

The old murals had faded long ago yet they remained beautiful.

At the entrance to the shrine...

Little campfire crackled warmly.

Over it there was an iron kettle familiar to Jennie.

Gray robes.

Wide straw hat.

Soft smile.

The traveler raised his eyes as if he was waiting for them.

"Good evening."

Jennie couldn’t help but smile.

"...Shanks."

Roxy burst out laughing.

"This is ridiculous!"

"We always meet with you!"

Shanks laughed lightly.

"The roads have a strange way of gathering travelers."

Snow quietly sat beside the campfire.

"I think the roads are cheating."

Even Shanks laughed at it.

Without saying anything, Shanks poured the warm tea into four wooden cups.

He gave one to Jennie.

One to Roxy.

One he put in front of Snow.

Finally...

He filled the cup for himself.

Jennie took her cup.

"Thanks."

"The rain tastes much better when there is some tea."

Jennie smiled.

"I haven’t heard about this before."

"Then today will be the first time."

Roxy carefully blew on her tea.

Jennie noticed it.

"You remembered last time."

Roxy nodded proudly.

"I won’t lose this time."

Snow quietly added,

"It was a decisive defeat."

Roxy pouted.

"I thought wolves are supposed to support their friends."

"We do."

"But honesty comes first."

Jennie laughed and then Roxy laughed too.

For a little while the laughter mixed with the sound of rain.

The conversation smoothly went on and on.

No one rushed.

No one interrupted.

It seemed as four ordinary travelers spending rainy evening in an old shrine.

Shanks glanced at Jennie.

"If I may ask..."

"What is your favorite food?"

Jennie thought for a while.

"...The fresh bread."

"Especially when it is warm."

"And the vegetable soup."

"It reminds me of home."

Just after her last word...

Her face lit up with sad smile.

Shanks noticed it.

But he didn’t ask why.

Instead, he simply nodded.

"The meal that is shared by people you love..."

"Is usually much tastier than the feast."

Jennie smiled back.

"I agree."

---

Roxy quickly joined the conversation.

"My favorite is the strawberry cake!"

Snow looked at her questioningly.

"I thought that was roasted mushrooms."

"They are second."

"And pancakes?"

"They are third."

"You have a list?"

"Of course."

Jennie laughed.

"You have a list?"

Roxy proudly nodded.

"It is color-coded."

Snow sighed.

"...I shouldn’t be surprised anymore."

Shanks smiled as he listened to them.

Jennie looked at Snow.

"What about you?"

The Divine Wolf answered immediately.

"Dried meat."

Roxy blinked.

"That’s all?"

Snow nodded.

"It keeps well during the journey."

Jennie laughed.

"As usual."

Shanks said with a smile,

"I thought you’ll say the fish."

Snow looked thoughtful.

"...Fish are acceptable too."

Roxy grinned.

"We’re making progress."

After another cup of tea...

The conversation shifted to the topic of the travels.

Jennie looked at the rain curtain outside the shrine.

"I used to think that traveling means reaching some destination."

She quietly held the warm cup with both hands.

"But lately..."

"I’ve began to enjoy the journey itself."

Shanks nodded.

"Destination ends."

"The roads continue."

Jennie quietly repeated these words in her mind.

Destination ends...

The roads continue...

There was something calming in them.

Roxy stretched her legs.

"If I could travel anywhere..."

"I would visit each and every ancient library in the world."

Snow looked at her huge backpack.

"I believe you’re doing that."

She smiled proudly.

"I am."

Jennie laughed.

"I’m beginning to think your backpack is a library."

"It might be."

Shanks looked at Snow.

"And you?"

The Divine Wolf raised his head.

"I’ve already traveled enough."

Jennie looked at him.

"Really?"

Snow smiled gently.

"Anywhere where Lady Jennie walks..."

"...Is enough for me."

Jennie’s cheeks flushed a bit.

"You don’t need to say that so seriously."

"I said exactly what I mean."

Roxy dramatically placed her hand over her heart.

"That was surprisingly sweet."

Snow looked confused.

"I simply answered truthfully."

---

Outside...

The thunder rumbled through the dark sky.

Lightning illuminated the old shrine for a while.

The rain kept falling.

Inside the old shrine however...

The warm campfire and peaceful talk made the storm seem very distant.

After a while of comfortable silence, Shanks spoke again.

"Tell me..."

"What place do you consider the most peaceful?"

Jennie didn’t answer immediately.

She watched the dancing flames.

Then she smiled.

"There was a small house."

"A garden."

"And people waiting for me."

"That place existed for a short while..."

"But when I recall it..."

"It seems so warm."

She didn’t say the names of Arthur or Elena or Lucas.

There were some memories too precious to explain.

Shanks lowered his eyes with a soft smile.

"I understand."

Roxy answered after.

"A library."

"The more quiet – the better."

Snow thought for a moment.

"A snowy mountain."

"With no hunters."

"And with no demons."

Jennie nodded.

"That’s peaceful."

Finally, Jennie looked at Shanks.

"And you?"

He was silent for a while.

Rain quietly tapped against the old roof.

Then he answered.

"...Any place."

"...Where the people I care about are still smiling."

Jennie looked at him quietly.

For some reason she didn’t understand...

These words stirred something deep in her heart.

They seemed less like an answer...

And more like the memory of the person that had lost everything once before.

Neither Jennie nor Roxy noticed it.

But during the whole conversation...

Shanks never mentioned Excalibur.

Never said anything about Leviathan.

Never questioned Raven’s reputation.

He simply asked about ordinary things.

Food.

Travel.

Peace.

And the meaning of home.

For Jennie...

He seemed less like a mysterious traveler...

And more like an old friend she couldn’t remember meeting.

The rain was still pouring down mercilessly.

Heavy drops were beating the roof of the ancient temple like countless tiny drums.

There was a flash of lightning in the dark sky, and then for just a moment everything was covered in silvery light.

BOOM!

Thunder sounded across the grasslands.

In the temple though, there was a burning little campfire.

Its warm glow chased away the cold that the rain brought with it.

Roxy happily accepted another cup of tea.

"I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed rainy weather this much."

Jennie smiled.

"I think that we can thank the tea for that."

Shanks laughed quietly and poured some more tea.

"You see, sometimes tea makes the storm look much smaller."

Snow sat calmly next to the entrance and watched the rain.

And then...

He raised his ears.

His relaxed look vanished.

There was a powerful pressure spreading across the plains.

No ordinary mana.

Preying.

Violent.

Primordial.

Snow slowly got up.

His blue eyes narrowed.

"...Someone is coming."

Jennie looked at him.

"What is it?"

Snow barely managed to say anything before...

The ground shook.

RUMBLE...

The trees at the edge of the shrine bent as something huge passed by, moving across the storm.

All birds suddenly burst out of the sky into panic flight.

Several mana deer started running across the plains without even turning back.

Even the wind stopped for a second.

And then...

There was a deafening roar that shook the heavens.

ROOOOOAAARRRR!!

The lightning showed the silhouette of a giant standing on top of a hill not far from them.

Jennie immediately went out of the temple.

It took just several seconds for the rain to wet her white robe.

Far on the other side of the grassland there was an enormous beast.

Its body resembled a hybrid of a wolf and a lion with a height of almost eight meters.

Its dark blue fur was covering powerful muscles sparkling under the lightning-like arcs of life energy.

Two big black horns grew backwards from its head.

Golden eyes were blazing like two suns.

Every breath it took produced crackling sparks.

Its long tail was swinging in the air like a lightning bolt.

Around each of its powerful legs...

Electricity was dancing on the wet grass.

Even the rain evaporated before reaching its body.

Snow’s face turned serious.

"...Tempest Fang."

Jennie silently watched the creature.

"So, that is an S-Class thunder beast."

Snow nodded.

"King of storm predators."

"They usually dwell way past the northern highlands."

"They never come close to the roads of humans."

The Tempest Fang crouched down.

Its huge claws were digging into the ground.

The surrounding lightning was gathering around its horns.

Jennie instinctively put one hand on Excalibur’s handle.

Roxy peeked out from the entrance.

"...Is..."

"...Is it looking at us?"

"Yes."

Snow calmly stood next to Jennie.

"If it attacks..."

"I will fight with you."

Jennie smiled faintly.

"I know."

For several long moments...

Nothing happened.

The Tempest Fang was staring straight ahead toward the shrine.

Its golden eyes were narrowing.

Even the storm itself seemed to hold its breath.

And then...

Suddenly, something changed.

The proud expression of the beast disappeared.

Its pupils suddenly shrank.

Its mighty body became stiff.

The crackling lightning around its fur stopped glowing.

It was not preparing for any attack.

It was...

Scared.

The giant predator slowly took one step back.

Then another one.

Every part of its body was trembling now.

Not because of any injuries.

Not because of fatigue.

Because of...

Fear.

A scared growl escaped from its throat.

The Tempest Fang bowed its head.

Its tail curled tightly under its body.

And then...

It turned around.

And ran away.

Not calmly.

Not even cautiously.

It fled desperately, breaking the trees and vanishing into the storm as if something much more scary than it was standing nearby.

Very soon...

It was gone.

Only the distant thunder could be heard.

Jennie slowly removed her hand from Excalibur’s handle.

"...That is strange."

Snow did not say anything.

His eyes were not following the escaping beast.

They were looking elsewhere.

Slowly...

He turned towards the shrine.

Towards the burning campfire.

Towards the quiet traveler.

Shanks was sitting exactly where he was just moments ago.

One hand was holding a warm cup of tea.

Another hand was casually resting on his knee.

His expression did not change.

He calmly drank another sip.

Like nothing unusual had happened.

Like the fleeing of an S-Class monster in horror was the most ordinary thing in the world.

Snow stared at him silently.

A Tempest Fang...

One of the mightiest predators in the world...

Fled...

Without anyone showing any killing intent.

Without a battle.

Without even a word.

Snow lived for more than a thousand years.

He knew how the powerful creatures react to the presence of great danger.

He saw dragons retreating.

He saw demon beasts bowing.

He saw armies losing their will to fight.

The Tempest Fang acted like that too.

Not to Jennie.

Not to him.

To...

The quiet traveler having a tea.

Shanks slowly raised his eyes.

They met for only an instant.

He simply smiled.

Gentle.

Ordinary.

Absolutely harmless smile.

Then he calmly took another sip of tea.

Snow slowly lowered his ears.

His heart was calm.

But deep inside...

There was an unfamiliar feeling.

Respect.

Mixed with cautiousness.

He quietly looked away.

"...Who are you...?"

The rain was still falling.

The fire was still burning.

And the mysterious traveler was still enjoying his tea like nothing had happened at all.