Purah is stunned by Renzo's revelation. "Wait! What?! What do you mean by that, Renzo? What do you mean you lied?" she struggles to come to terms with what she had just heard. Her red eyes flare wide in disbelief and she instinctively backed away from him, hoping that this was some kind of joke or a misunderstanding.

Renzo places his hands at chest level, palms facing out as if signaling for her to calm down and listen. "Look, Purah, just calm down and listen to what I am going to say. So yes, I did lie about coming here to assess and report back to the court."

"Then what is it that you are here for?!" Her breathing quickens as she feels her heart drumming as the word 'betrayed' flashed through her mind.

"I come here to get you out, Purah, to take you out of this dying land." His voice is laced with determination and conviction, showing his real purpose of coming to Hyrule.

She frowns, her disbelief so profound that her voice momentarily falters. "Wha—what? Get me out? You're saying you want to take me away from my home? My family? My friends? My country?" She takes an unconscious step back, struggling to process his words.

"Purah, listen to me! Hyrule is already lost; it's a dying land. You and your people are just waiting for the inevitable."

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she locks eyes with him. "No, Renzo! I won't abandon my home, my family, my friends, or my people when they're in dire need. Hyrule is where I belong!" Her voice rises, her chest heaving with the intensity of her emotions. She takes off her glasses and puts them down on the table, showing her naked face in full to him.

"Are you blind, Purah?!" He walks over to the window and points at the ominous swirl of dark clouds circling around in the distance. "Look at that! Death is on your doorstep, Purah. And what are you and your people doing? Living as if the end of the world is just another day here!"

"End of the world? Renzo, I've been working day and night to help my people and help the Hyrule Kingdom! My country! We're not just sitting around. We're fighting, uniting, rebuilding, holding on to the hope of doing everything we can to stop that Ganon Calamity!" She takes a quick breather to get her bearings. " By Hylia, and you are asking me to tag along with you to just abandon all of that? To abandon my family, and my friends? And my duty as the royal chief scientist is to serve the Princess and help Link, and you are asking me to throw all that away?!"

"Oh, for Zingla sake! This is a matter of death and life, Purah. I am more shocked and baffled that your people are not even trying to build a boat to leave and take refuge in the closest neighboring nations. My country, Zing Ching, is willing to accept your people as refugees and assist in building a temporary government organ. Can't you see that this is such an idiotic death wish?"

She's baffled, momentarily speechless as she looks away. Shaking her head, she licks her lips. "Really, Renzo... You make it sound so easy to abandon our history, our culture, our land. Do you think it's that simple?" Her silver-white eyebrow arches and her red eyes fill with disdain and disappointment. "We're not cowards. We fight for what we believe in, even if it means dying for it. And if you think I'm just going to hop on your boat and sail away like a goody-two-shoes, you're goddamn mistaken, by Hylia, Renzo" Her tone is heavy, tinged with a cold edge.

He turns away, his gaze settling on the distant calamity. Gritting his teeth, he closes his eyes for a moment, as if wrestling with his emotions. The weight of her stubbornness feels like a hand pushing on his chest. "Purah, let me tell you how the world outside sees Hyrule's situation, and what they've decided to do."

Her eyes lock onto him, their red hue almost as if glowing. She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever truth he's about to reveal.

"They've all decided to do nothing, Purah. A unanimous decision to let Ganon have his way with Hyrule. Zing Ching and the other nations don't want to get involved in your crisis. You've been on your own from the start." His last words are tinged with a careful, caring tone as if he's trying to cushion the blow of the harsh reality.

Purah's eyes narrow, her lips quivering as if she is holding back a storm of emotions. Her hands curl into fists at her sides, the knuckles turning white. "So that's it, huh? A unanimous betrayal. And here I thought Zing Ching, of all nations, would stand by us. Especially with you being here, Renzo." Her voice is a low, controlled tremor as if she is struggling to keep her composure. "I actually believed we weren't alone in this. I had hopes that our so-called foreign friends would come to our aid. All those warm welcomes, gifts, and promises of friendship…. Turns out they were nothing but political posturing and empty gestures." She scoffs in a weak manner, feeling naive and oblivious to how the outside world works.

Renzo takes her hands, his touch gentle but firm, as if trying to ground her in the harsh reality he's just laid out. "Purah, you need to understand, this is how the world works. It's ugly, it's unfair, but it's the reality we're in." He sees her eyes start to water, and his own gaze drops to the floor, his lips trembling ever so slightly. "Purah, Purah, look, I'm here with you, and the first thing is to get you to safety. Then I'll do everything in to convince the Zing Ching court to send ships for the rest of your people. That is the promise, Purah. As I said I came here to get you out of this so-called 'Calamity'." His voice is tinged with worry and concern, his grip on her hands reassuring yet urgent.

Purah takes a deep, steadying breath, her eyes momentarily leaving his face. When she looks back, there's a new resolve, a different kind of fire in her eyes. "You know, Renzo," she begins, her voice softer, almost nostalgic, "I still remember the first time you told me about Zing Ching's flying machines. You were so proud, teasing me about how advanced your country was compared to mine." She tilts her head just so, her eyes narrowing into a sultry, half-lidded gaze, and her lips curling into a knowing smile. "But instead of feeling annoyed or slighted, I was captivated. So interested in it that I couldn't help but get lost in that world with you."

She places her hands lightly on his chest, feeling his rhythmic heartbeat, while never breaking eye contact. "We've shared so much in those two years, haven't we? Sneaking into your room late at night, talking until the sun peeked over the horizon. We were in our own little world, separate from everything else. We were practically a couple, even if we never said it out loud."

Renzo stands frozen grappling with the sudden shift in the conversation about their history when he was an escort guard to the Zing Ching diplomatic ambassador.

She leans in, wrapping her arms around him in a tender embrace. "You kept finding reasons to come back here, to be with me. Each visit lasted longer than the last." Her whisper is a soft caress against his ear, leaving him momentarily speechless. "We've seen each other at our most vulnerable and shared our deepest secrets and dreams, Renzo."

He closes his eyes briefly, steeling himself against her words. He's here for one reason, to get her out of this dying land. "Stop, Purah, just—" She silences him with a gentle finger to his lips, urging him to let her finish. Her touch is a soft command, impossible to ignore.

"You once told me that you've never really had a home, never experienced the warmth of a family. You've been a wanderer, drifting from one place to another. Zing Ching may be your country, but it's never been your home. Yet here you are, back in Hyrule, back to me."

Her fingers lightly traced the contours of his jaw, her eyes never blinking a moment, locked onto his. "I know you love me, and I know I'm the only person you've ever truly cared to protect and the only person ever loving you. The only one you've ever let inside those walls of yours."

Her voice deepens, tinged with an intensity that's almost a whisper. "You're so focused on saving me, but have you ever stopped to think about where you belong in all of this? If you take me away from Hyrule, you're tearing away a piece of who I am, Renzo. But what if, by staying, you find that missing piece of yours? A home, a purpose, something that isn't just an order or another mission from some court in Zing Ching."

He doesn't know what to say; everything she's said is right about him like she knows him better than he knows himself. The atmosphere shifts, the roles reverse, and he is left questioning his own motives. 'Am I doing the right thing by taking her away from her home, her family, her friends? Just to keep her safe? Or is it my own selfish desire to have her?' His hands tremble slightly, a physical manifestation of his internal turmoil. She can see her words are getting to him, making him reconsider.

Taking a deep breath to collect his scattered thoughts, he finally speaks. "Purah, I'm just a lone soldier from Zing Ching. What can one man do to make a difference when such a force as calamity is present right in front of your doorstep?" His voice carries weight, emphasizing his realism; he believes his help would make no difference at all.

Purah takes a couple of steps back, placing her hands on her hips. Her expression remains unfazed, her eyes half-lidded as if his words have no impact on her. "Don't sell yourself short, Renzo. You're not just any soldier; you're an elite, highly trained one." Her lips curl into a playful, mischievous smile as she twirls her finger in the air. "What was that your country calls its highly skilled and deadly elite soldiers? Habin, wasn't it? You told me it means 'ferocious and disciplined,' like a majestic golden tiger." Her gesture emphasizes that she knows he's far more than just a foot soldier.

Renzo sighs in a deep manner, putting his hand on his forehead. It seems he is about to give in. And Purah looks at him in a sly expression. "Renzo, I know you are the 'Habin' soldier, your country's treasured elite, and I also recall that you had experiences in real battles and even participated in war before." She then gazes at his white golden spear, his round shield with the same hue, his crossbow showing the complicated mechanical lines, and his other equipment at the corner of the room.

"Your presence here, your skills, your knowledge in battle, are more than enough to help me, help us, help Hyrule make a difference, Renzo, no matter how small or big. We need you, I need you," her voice softens, a hint of vulnerability sneaking in, "my love."

He lets out a long exhale through his nose, his eyes meeting hers before dropping to the floor. "If I stay... if I really commit to this, what exactly are you asking of me? To slay some beasts? Train your people?" His hands rise, palms open, as if weighing the gravity of his next decision.

Purah's response is direct, her tone unwavering. "Just one thing, Renzo. I need you to help us bring Link to the Great Plateau. That's it. It's crucial. He's the only one who can defeat Ganon, and you know he's in a comatose state. And you know he is the only one who can wield the sword that seals the darkness." Her eyes lock onto his, making it clear that this is the one thing she needs from him.

He walks over to the window, taking in the scent of leaves and the faint aroma of dinner wafting through the air. His gaze shifts to the dark clouds circling around the castle and the red bolts of lightning that continue to mar the sky, a constant reminder of the looming calamity. After a moment of deep thought, he turns back to face her. "Fine, I'll do it. But once that's done, you're coming with me to Zing Ching. Deal?"

She smiles, her eyes lighting up with a glint of triumph. "Deal," she says, her voice tinged with a mix of relief and anticipation. "But remember, Renzo, you're not just a visitor here or a foreigner. I'm here, my friends are here, my family is here, and they all always welcomed you with open arms when you came back here to see me again and again like you are our family. Hyrule isn't just a place you visit; it's a place where you belong because you belong with me." She leans in, sealing their pact with a lingering, meaningful kiss.

After that, Purah starts to head out of his room, her steps light with newfound hope. "I should let Impa know there's been a change in the mission the court assigned me. I don't want to shock her with the truth that Hyrule is on its own."

She pivots gracefully, bestowing upon him a smile that is as reassuring as it is radiant. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'll tell her myself—that you've decided to stay and help us get Link to the Great Plateau." She leans in, her voice dropping to a mischievous whisper. "And I'll be right back, Renzo, so don't go lighting up your pipe too much, okay?"

"What? Wait, you're going to sleep here? With me?"

She gives him a playful look, her hand lightly grazing his arm as she passes by him. "What, it's not like we only just talked to each other in your guest room during the late nights. We've done a lot more than just talking you know?." Her eyes meet his for a moment, filled with a teasing sparkle, before she grins and heads out of his room.

Alone in the room at last, Renzo takes out his pipe, lights it, and inhales deeply. The smoke brings a momentary ease to his mind as he exhales out the window, his gaze fixed on the distant, looming calamity. "What have I gotten myself into..."

"Yes, just what have you gotten yourself into," a deep male voice echoes from the trees. Two yellow, orb-like eyes shine like phantoms in the darkness. With a spread of its wings, the creature lands on the windowsill next to Renzo, who continues to lean against it, puffing on his pipe.

"Taki, how long have you been watching me?" Renzo exhales another plume of smoke, eyeing the dark brown owl with its long, feathery eyebrows that give it an air of wisdom.

"Long enough to see you swayed by that captivating Sheikah woman," Taki retorts, his talons gripping the wooden sill as he meticulously preens his beak with a wing. Renzo takes another long drag from his pipe, exhaling the smoke into the night air as he gazes at the sky, now a tapestry of stars against the dark void. "You had personal permission from the grand court and the Hei Mogui house to get your lover out of this troubled land. And now you're considering staying to help Hyrule's would-be savior reach the Great Plateau?" Taki shakes his head from side to side, his eyes narrowing as if he's weighing the gravity of Renzo's decision.

"Look, Taki, I'll draft a report right now. You'll take it to the court, informing them that I've decided to extend my stay for personal reasons. It could be a few months, maybe even a year," Renzo says, his voice tinged with a mix of determination and uncertainty, as if he's still grappling with the magnitude of his choice.

"Then do so, Renzo, for the court and the house you are part of won't like this at all. But this is your personal matter, not the mission. And don't forget to add the situation here also." He takes out the bamboo paper from his bag, and quickly writes the brief report and also the reason for his extension of staying in Hyrule until his personal matter is done.

"Then get to it, Renzo. The court and the Hei Mogui house won't like this detour. But this is your personal matter, not a mission. And don't forget to include the current situation in Hyrule," Taki says in a deep tone with authority, his owl eyes sharp.

Renzo pulls out a sheet of bamboo paper from his bag and quickly drafts a report. He outlines his decision to extend his stay in Hyrule and the reasons for it, making sure to include the current state of affairs. Once done, he rolls up the paper, ready for Taki to deliver it to the court. He takes it with his claw foot and sighs briefly looking out at the dark clouds on the horizon.

"Once you are done with your personal matter, you best get out as soon as possible from this land, Renzo. For this land….is cursed….cursed to repeat itself." Taki's tone is serious with a concern of him, his feather shudders slightly for the land of Hyrule giving him an uncomfortable edge.

"You mean the calamity over there? Well, I do agree this nation is cursed, but people here think it's their duty and fate to stop Ganon when he revives. I believe this is the second calamity, while the first happened centuries ago." Renzo takes a long drag from his pipe, exhaling the smoke into the night air. The scent of burnt herbal leaves and the calming effect of the nicotine fill the room.

"No…there were many more like this, even before the first calamity ever happened in this land," Taki replies, his voice heavy with foreboding. His eyes narrow, and his long feathery eyebrows furrow, as if the very mention of Hyrule's history unsettles him. "Don't ever get yourself trapped in here, Renzo. This land is forever cursed to repeat itself."

Renzo pauses, letting Taki's words hang heavy in the air. The owl's warning settles deep within him, mingling with the lingering scent of his pipe smoke. Taki spreads his wings wide and leaps from the windowsill, his large wings beating against the night air as he gains altitude. "Don't ever get yourself killed here, Renzo. I'll drag your dead body out of here before these people bury you in this damned land called Hyrule."

Renzo nods, his eyes narrowing as he tries to understand Taki's urgency, the owl's words gnawing at him. "I won't, Taki. Fly safe."

"And you be safe, Renzo. Once you're done here, grab your lover and get out. May the Long watch over you," Taki replies, soaring swiftly into the night sky. Renzo takes another long drag from his pipe, his thoughts swirling like the smoke he exhales, waiting for Purah to return and spend the night with him.