Kael continued, almost too casually. "She's a childhood friend. We grew up in the capital. We haven't seen in years. I ran into her coincidentally."
An awkward silence filled the group for a moment as Orin and Leiza's eyes briefly fell on Shiera.
Shiera's expression subtly shifted. The muscle in her jaw flexed, just for a moment. "I see…" she said in a neutral voice in the end. Looking at her, Shiera asked. "A fellow Tier-8 expert, huh? So, are you a mercenary or a guild member?"
Alice replied with a sad smile. "No, I retired from adventuring after my husband's death, actually."
"Oh my god. What happened? You are so young…" Mia asked with a gasp.
