Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 325: Return Of Dario

Snow drifted lazily through the air as Ren leaned back against the cold stone of one of the boulders scattered around Ur, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

Beside him, Thorn tossed a rock into the snow with a whistle, kicking his boots against a stump to shake off the cold.

Meanwhile, Lilith perched on top of the boulder, her red eyes fixed on the distant road winding into Ur. Her hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and she hadn’t blinked in over a minute.

"There he is." Ren said, pointing with his chin.

A lone figure trudged up the path. He wore a wide straw hat that obscured most of his face and a dark green cloak that billowed behind him in the wind.

A thin sword rested on his back, and a carved walking stick tapped rhythmically against the frozen ground. His gait was relaxed, but deliberate.

"That him?" Thorn asked.

Ren nodded. "That’s Dario. Our guide to the Seventh Peak."

"Looks more like a farmer than a guide." Thorn muttered, raising a brow.

"He’s not what you’d expect," Ren said, "but he’s the best."

Dario reached the entrance of Ur without so much as a glance at the guards. They didn’t stop him. They knew who he was, or at least they knew not to get in his way.

The three of them watched as Dario walked past the entrance and moved unhurriedly toward Luna’s hut, his gait fluid and easy. Not fast, not slow. Just... steady. Like a man who always arrives exactly when he meant to. The snow never seemed to touch his cloak.

"Well," Ren said, pushing off the tree and dusting snow from his shoulders, "that saves us some trouble. We might actually leave this place on time."

"Praise the heavens." Thorn grumbled. "I was getting ready to build a snow fort and live here."

They wandered toward the park area near Luna’s home. It was quickly becoming their favorite area of the town and judging by the regular number of citizens who frequented it, they were not the one.

As always, when they got there, there were a few citizens scattered around, huddled close to steaming mugs or speaking in low voices.

At one of the tables sat Nero and Contessa.

Nero was reclined slightly, his dark cloak draped across the back of the bench. His lion shaped mask rested beside him on the table, revealing pale skin, a handsome face, and jet black eyes that were half lidded with thought.

Contessa sat beside him, upright and proper, her silver mask still hiding her face. Her white cloak looked untouched by the grime or weather.

Lilith stopped walking. "They’re still here."

"Of course they are." Thorn muttered. "They haven’t done anything since they got here a week ago."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Not true. They left three days ago. Gone for about three hours. Came back, went straight to Luna’s place. Haven’t left much since."

"So what are they still doing here?" Thorn asked. "You think they need something from Luna?"

"Maybe." Ren said. He folded his arms, eyes narrowing. "Or maybe Luna needs something from them."

Lilith didn’t speak, but her eyes were on Nero. He noticed. His gaze met hers, and he gave her the faintest of nods.

She didn’t return it.

"If they were Chosens before the Church fell," Thorn said, scratching his head, "why would they take orders from someone else? Especially someone like Luna. She’s strong, sure, but Rank 7 or not, they’re... different."

"Maybe they owe her." Ren said. "Or maybe they just know better than to cross her. Either way, something’s off."

Before they could speak further, a rough looking man in a thick fur coat walked towards them.

"You three! Lady Luna wants to see you. Now."

They exchanged glances.

"Here we go again." Thorn sighed.

They followed the man back to Luna’s home, the familiar stone structure standing in the middle of Ur.

Snow had started to fall harder now, blanketing the roof in a clean layer of white. Inside, warmth met them, along with the soft crackle of fire.

Luna stood beside the hearth, her arms folded and her eyes as alert as ever. She looked less like a host and more like a judge.

Next to her stood Dario, his straw hat now in his hands, revealing sun kissed skin and shoulder length black hair tied in a loose braid. His expression was unreadable.

"You’re here." Luna said. "Good. This is Dario, the guide you requested."

Dario said nothing, giving them a nod and a wide grin.

Ren stepped forward. "We saw him arrive. We’re ready to move when he is."

"Yes." Luna replied. "But there is one change to your plan."

She turned slightly. Behind them, the door opened again.

Nero and Contessa entered.

Ren’s brow furrowed. Lilith immediately stepped closer to him, instinctive.

Luna gestured. "Nero. Contessa. These are the ones you’ll be traveling with."

Silence hung for a moment.

Thorn blinked. "Wait, what?"

Luna continued, unfazed. "They’re also heading to the Seventh Peak. They’ll be joining you."

Ren stepped forward. "Luna, we paid for Dario. We came first. We need privacy for what we’re doing."

Luna arched an eyebrow. "And they paid more."

Ren blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Dario is valuable." She said calmly. "He doesn’t split his time between parties. If you want to leave on time, you leave with them. If not, you wait until he returns. Could be weeks. Maybe months."

Ren clenched his fists. "We don’t even know what they want. Why they’re going."

"You don’t need to." Luna said. "And they don’t need to know your reasons either."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "So we’re baggage now?"

Contessa finally spoke, her voice soft and clear. "Not baggage. Fellow travelers."

Her voice was serene, but it held a note that made Ren feel like she knew exactly what each of them was capable of, and what they weren’t.

Ren turned to Dario. The guide said nothing, only offering a slow shrug. "I go where I’m told."

The silence stretched. Then Ren exhaled sharply.

"Fine. We go together."

Luna smiled faintly. "Good."

As they turned to leave, Ren couldn’t help but glance back at Nero and Contessa. They didn’t look triumphant. They didn’t even look interested. Just... patient.

"They’re hiding something." Lilith muttered under her breath.

"Of course they are." Ren said quietly. "So are we."

He walked out of the hut, the cold biting at his face again. Lilith walked beside him, her breath steaming.

"Are you okay with this?" She asked.

"Doesn’t matter." Ren muttered. "We don’t have a choice."

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