Dean Lynch turned back to Lily Ford, his weathered face softening into a mask of grandfatherly concern, the sharp edges of his combat-hardened features smoothing over with practiced ease. "Miss Lily, you are still young and unblemished by the rot of this world," he began, his voice dropping into a paternal hum. "You see a handsome face and a heroic act, but you lack the foresight to see the strings attached. Think about it: the Hex Acolytes of the Southern Frontier kidnap you for the Twin-Polarity Snow Lotus. Then, this boy miraculously appears at just the right moment, navigates a forest filled with lethal wards, and rescues you without suffering so much as a scratch. And his price? The exact same relic the kidnappers wanted."
He paused, letting the implication hang in the crisp mountain
