[Return] My pack, my children

“It has been... a while. Are you certain you want to go back? The place could not be like you remember it. And such discoveries can lead to great sadness.”

A voice belonging to a young girl, almost child-like in her appearance traveled harshly amid the raging snowstorm, only barely carried to the covered ears of a much taller figure that walked next to her. Yet, the small girl wore little beyond a white yukata, one which did not even protect the length of her legs. Behind it, a small dragon-like tail swayed from side to side as well, perhaps even indicative of her enjoying such a walk. The figure she spoke to, on the other hand, was covered from head to toe in a cloak of leather, completely hiding the individual it shielded.

“I don't doubt that it changed a lot one bit. That is precisely why I want to see it, you know? The children have surely grown a fair bit, albeit maybe not physically.”

A tone of voice that was much more cheery than the young girl's. And as their conversation became less and less drowned by the thunderous sounds of their environment, the storm has suddenly cleared up, as if they had just entered a protective barrier. In front of them, a beautiful field of white snow and a large building that stood tall despite the harsh mountainous terrain and weather.

“If you've made your mind up about this, then I shall take my leave. This affair is yours alone. I wish you... the best of luck.”

With such parting words, the young girl took mere few steps back as she dissipated into the snow, her body becoming one with the element. Such sight was no surprise to the other person, who had now finally removed at least the hood of the coat, revealing a sparkling silver hair and kind blue eyes. A young girl that could only be seen as an exotic traveler with such traits.

“Alright then.”

Quickly gathering the confidence required to approach such seemingly desolate, yet greatly populated building, the girl had made her way toward the main entrance. Taking hold of the cold handles in her cupped hands, she had swung that heavy door wide open with ease as only a couple more steps have gotten her into the even warmer environment. At last, she was home. And to stir up the hearts of those she wished to see, she shouted at full lungs:

“Where are all the wolves then?!”

Thank goodness, there was still life in this guild indeed. In fact, only the familiar faces have shown up at this very moment in time to greet who was previously a guild master but went on an uannounced trip to a different world for few months, if not longer. Leila certainly had hoped for what would be a warm welcome, but she had not expected anything. Which made this all the more pleasant and surprising for her, certainly not in a bad way. Though the group hug might have been just a tad bit suffocating, some individuals getting rather emotional over it.

“Ah... haha, yes... it is still me.”

Her voice grew a bit more mellow as she even ran her hand over the poor librarian's head as if he was a small child in need of comfort. It made her realize that the bonds she had created here were much stronger than she even realized. When she disappeared, it was because of a fairly serious problem that kept her busy this entire time, not allowing her to think about it much. So now that she was back, well... it all hit her like a truck, straight on. Looking to the side, she also saw Leona. A young girl that was now the current guild master of Silver Wolf. Yes, the silver-haired adventurer at least did her research before coming here. Saluting to the maiden, she smiled brightly.

“Heya! Sorry for the, uh... unexpected departure. But I'm here now, and I don't plan to leave again!”

A reassurance she herself probably needed more than they did. But regardless, she was really home, wasn't she? A sudden sigh of relief escaped her as she suddenly felt a bit weak in her knees.

“It's been a while... what all have I missed?”

For some rather odd reason, it felt as if Yuvon was thinking about something... mischevious to say the least. But then again, he wore that iconic mask of his, and Leila had not seen him in ages. So there was also an equally great likelihood that she was making that feeling up for herself. So she simply took a small step back to reform the formal distance between herself and the man, as well as Leona.

“Wait, changes had to be made to the library's wall to ward off the cold? That sounds a bit worrying, the area inside of the barrier should be quite warm. I should go check on the runes later today...”

After all, she was the one who created this whole place, the protective barrier included. And now that she was thinking about it, she actually had no idea if there was any other member in the guild that would be capable of understanding and maintaining the runes that formed the protective bubble. Because if not, then it was a good thing she returned home before it collapsed completely due to the lack of maintenance.

“But this gold sand sounds very interesting, something I should try out as soon as possible!”

She smirked at the other part of the news. Oh, she had certainly missed the hot springs of this place. Though it also sounded like there would be a bit more work with the mountain range. Not that Leila would be one to shy away from some hard work. Especially given the fact that her magical energy did not plummet down this time. Gardens of Eden would make it easy to fix just about anything in the area, and even the building itself all things considered.

And then it was Leona's turn who waited patiently for Yuvon to finish. It was actually kind of amusing how they each took a part in explaining the current situation of Silver Wolf. It showed that they were both deeply invested in this place, this community.

“I see. It seems that there is a certain missing person I need to go find then...”

This time, her words were quite low, as if she was speaking only for her own ears as she turned around slightly, gazing back outside of the guild and into the vast emptiness that lied beyond the barrier and the storm. Though she quickly turned to face the duo again with a bright smile, approaching Leona rather suddenly and moving one of her hands to ruffle the other girl's hair.

“And you did an amazing job in my absence, guild m-a-s-t-er~”

She almost teased her new superior with the words, but it was obviously all in good spirits. Leila was glad beyond words that both Poko and her rose up to take care of the guild while she selfishly disappeared. They kept it running and even forged what appeared to be a powerful alliance with other guilds. Already it seemed that they were more accomplished that the founder herself. In fact, the silver-haired maiden's eyes glossed slightly as she only barely held back the tears.

“I am proud of you all, I truly am. People like you who wish to take care of each other, that is why I made this guild in the first place. And I cannot express the happiness I feel by seeing that I succeeded.”