As Captain Greystone finishes speaking, Kaelara stands at the back of the room, her arms crossed over her chest. Her figure is slight, yet her posture betrays the hard-won confidence of someone accustomed to traveling alone. Her expression is neutral, unreadable, but her eyes gleam with quiet determination. She surveys the other adventurers, noting the varying reactions to the Captain’s curt briefing.

When the room falls silent, Kaelera steps forward. Her voice is steady, calm, with a slight edge that hints at her no-nonsense demeanor.

“I’ll be honest, Captain,” she begins, her gaze unwavering as it meets Greystone’s. “I’m not here to argue your command, but I am here for one reason: to find the Lady. If that means working with you, so be it. But let me make it clear—anyone who stands in the way of that will find me to be as much a hindrance as I am a help.”

Her tone is firm, but her words are not a challenge—they are a promise.

She glances briefly at the other adventurers, noting their varied expressions, before turning back to the Captain.

“Dangerous entities, missing men, ruins… this isn’t the sort of job that’s for the faint-hearted. I hope the same can be said for the others on this team.”

Kaelara doesn’t wait for a reply. Her attention shifts to the window, where the fading light casts long shadows across the village. Without another word, she steps toward the door, pausing just before exiting.

“We leave at dawn. I’ll be ready,” she adds over her shoulder, her voice resolute as she disappears into the evening air.