While the wolves satisfy their hunger and Nagaro, trapped inside the Black Forest, slowly loses his patience, the Adventurers' Guild in a distant city is as busy as ever.
Adventurers of many different races walk through the main hall, drink, chat about missions, and look over the new requests pinned to the quest board.
Two adventurers stand in front of the board.
One of them takes a quest flyer.
"What do you think about this one?"
His partner looks at the paper.
"Goblin extermination?"
"Hmm... Looks like something we can finish without any trouble."
The two adventurers walk over to the receptionist, informing her that they'll be taking the mission.
***
I fold my arms and watch the two adventurers heading toward the guild receptionist.
Looks like they're taking on a Rank B mission.
At the same table where I'm sitting, the group I lead remains calm and quiet.
A sharp contrast to our surroundings, where plenty of tables are packed with loud, lively adventurers.
The tavern shares the same building as the guild. It's where many parties come to celebrate, blow off steam, or simply relax, which is exactly why we're here.
"Yeeah!"
The voice of a big, bearded man catches my attention. At the table next to ours, a party of adventurers has taken up two whole tables. Judging by the grin on the bearded man's face, I'd say their mission was a success.
Mugs clink together, loud cheers and off-key songs fill the air, and my dry throat practically demands a sip of that beer.
Watching that table any longer isn't doing me any favors, so I shift my attention elsewhere. Across from me, I notice one of my teammates watching the celebration with great interest. She's a tall woman with orange hair and leather armor. Her eyes linger on the drinks and food spread across the table.
A moment later, she turns her attention back to the rest of us.
She stands up. I hear her fists hit the table in frustration.
"Come on, everyone, let's celebrate!"
"It's not every day we successfully finish a Rank A mission!"
But none of us move from our seats. An old wooden staff taps lightly against the table, drawing our attention.
Beside me, I see the young arcanist dressed in a hooded robe.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Maria."
"I just want to rest. That fight against the pack of Shadow Wolves wore me out."
I hear Maria let out a disappointed sigh.
"But, Rimero..."
Before she can continue, I cut her off.
"He's right. Maria, we'd better get some rest."
"Don't forget, in a few days we're heading into the Southern Nightmare Forest."
Maria looks at each of us. Not even the wolf beastman and the elf sitting beside her back her up. I see him give Maria a slight shake of his head.
The silence from my party only reinforces the idea that resting is better than celebrating.
Disappointment is written all over her face. I watch her clench her fists for a moment before finally relaxing them.
"What a bunch of killjoys."
She looks straight at me.
"Alright, Rixas."
"But the next time we finish a mission like this, we're celebrating no matter what, got it?"
I calmly meet Maria's gaze.
"Next time, then."
Maria sits back down, and beside me, my daughter looks completely exhausted. She even lets out a yawn.
But she's right, we really do need the rest.
Noticing that the celebration at the next table is finally winding down, I turn serious again. I pull several sheets of paper out of my Storage Ring and spread them across the table.
I look at each member of my party.
"Alright, everyone. Shall we go over the preparations?"
We spend quite a while drinking and discussing our plans for the long journey to the Southern Forest.
With everything settled, I smile, satisfied with the planning, and put all the papers back into my Storage Ring. My team gathers up the maps and scrolls, along with the task list and the materials each person needs to buy.
I take another sip of my drink.
"Then that's it. Plans and expenses are all settled."
After a long discussion, plenty of planning, and a few drinks, my team says their goodbyes and leaves the guild. I'm the only one who stays behind, still sitting there, finishing the last of the beer in my mug.
I decide to stay a little longer. I call over a waitress to place another order.
The service is quick. The waitress soon returns with another beer and a serving of food.
"Here you go, sir."
I thank her and watch her silhouette as she heads over to serve other customers.
But my attention doesn't stay on her for long. I watch the activity inside the guild, searching for someone worthy of joining my party.
My team is strong and well-balanced. We're fully capable of taking on any mission. But ever since that loss, there's been an empty place in the group. Maria has done an incredible job filling her role, but even so, we still need someone who can truly fill that gap.
I take another sip and let out a sigh.
Why did you have to die like that? You were so skilled. It doesn't make any sense... and to me, it never will.
I remember what happened with a heavy heart, but I'm the leader. I have to think about what's best for the party, which means I need to find someone to replace her.
I glance around as casually as I can. Voices and the clinking of mugs still fill the air, but I still don't see anyone qualified.
There's no one here who can replace her.
After finishing my meal, I slide the empty plate to the center of the table and stand up.
My steps carry me out of the tavern. I walk over to the counter, and when I meet the receptionist's attentive gaze, I take a few coins out of my pouch.
With a slight nod, I thank her and head for the exit.
As I open the door, the cool street air wraps around me, carrying the scent of damp earth and the constant bustle of the city. Wagons roll back and forth along the middle of the road, while the sidewalks are crowded with townspeople going about their own business.
The coin pouch feels lighter.
"Prices have gone up."
Between lively shops and bustling buildings, I look for an inn.
I wonder which inn my daughter is staying at.
***
Later that day, the flow of adventurers is still relentless. People keep taking on missions one after another, making sure the quest board is always filled with new requests. At the tavern tables, the celebrations never stop, good food, plenty of drinks, and countless adventurers boasting about their Skills and their mastery of the Ancient Arts.
The receptionist is a charismatic, beautiful woman dressed in formal attire. Her figure and confident posture draw plenty of attention, especially from the male adventurers.
This time of the afternoon is when the guild usually sees its strongest, highest-ranked adventurers. Unfortunately, many of them are arrogant, rude, and in some cases, even suspected criminals.
At one table, an A-Rank adventurer from the wolf beastman race slams his mug onto the table, clearly irritated by the rumors making the rounds.
"Ah! Silent!"
"Silent this! Silent that!"
"That's all anyone ever talks about!"
"He's not that impressive. I'd take him down myself if I ever ran into him!"
At the same table, an elf sitting across from him speaks up.
"He really is that impressive. An assassin wanted by every kingdom and city."
"I heard he'll return this year."
"The upper class is desperate to get his head. I even heard some kings are building secret hideouts just to hide from him."
A fairy sitting between the two adds her own thoughts.
"They say he only goes after the upper class. That's a load of nonsense!"
"I don't even want to see him. As an adventurer, earning that reward would be nice... but there's a limit to everything."
She smiles and points a finger at the beastman.
"That includes you, Martins."
"There's no way someone as cocky and thick-headed as you could ever kill or capture him. I even heard that Silent killed the King of Assassins centuries ago."
Martins flies into a rage, locking his eyes on the fairy, looking ready to jump straight at her throat.
The atmosphere grows tense. The elf shifts uneasily and tries to calm Martins down with words, but the fairy keeps provoking him.
She seems to enjoy getting under Martins' skin.
"He's nowhere near an ordinary person."
She points toward the wanted board. It displays the faces of the region's most wanted criminals. At the very top are the world's most wanted fugitives.
One poster stands out from all the others. The poster she points at shows the face of the wanted man. In the picture, he's wearing a balaclava, and his face is wrapped in bandages, hiding his eyes. Below it is the name, "Silent," followed by the reward: ten billion.
Then she points toward the quest board. At the very top is another poster of Silent.
"He's also classified as an S-Rank threat."
"Did you see the bounty?"
"I heard rumors that the kingdoms, the guilds, and even the Iron Police have decided to add another zero to the reward."
Martins grows even angrier. His fur bristles slightly, and he looks ready to lunge at the fairy.
The elf, almost smiling, looks at the fairy and says in a low voice,
"I heard that too."
"And, you know..."
"I even managed to learn that he possesses a forbidden power."
The fairy looks at the elf, keeping her voice low.
"Really?"
"But I heard that's just a rumor."
He gives a slight shake of his head.
"That's what I thought too, but it seems the guilds are about to make it official, which, honestly, was pretty obvious."
Martins watches the two of them with admiration, as if they're putting Silent up on a pedestal.
Martins slams his mug onto the table once again.
"So what if he's strong?"
He glances at Silent's poster for a moment.
"If he's alive, he can be killed!"
In one gulp, he drains the rest of his beer.
"I'm going to defeat him and claim that bounty!"
"Ha, ha, ha!"
Martins raises his mug.
"Hey, waitress!"
"Bring me another beer!"
He shouts loud enough for everyone to hear, drawing the attention of the people around him. A few glare at him threateningly.
Martins ignores their stares.
"..."
Other adventurers, lured by the bounty, begin paying closer attention to Silent's poster.
Whispers spread through the guild.
"Who does he think he is?"
"That idiot? I'm the one who's going to claim the bounty."
"Whoever kills him gets it all."
A man takes down Silent's poster.
Silent will be my target.
At another table, three S-Rank adventurers simply listen to Martins' boasting and the whispers spreading around the room, but the weapons in their hands are already at the ready.
Before long, the whispers turn into conversations. Many begin discussing ways to kill or capture Silent, despite never having laid eyes on him.
Martins is starting to feel the effects of the alcohol.
"But it doesn't matter whether he's powerful or not. Nobody knows where he is."
The fairy replies.
"True."
"There's no way to know how he'd humiliate you. It's not like he'd just walk in here to teach you a lesson. Ha, ha, ha!"
Martins can no longer keep his growls under control.
"Why, you little...!"
The elf steps between Martins and the fairy.
"That's enough about Silent!"
"Let's talk about something else!"
But then...
The creak of the door draws everyone's attention.
Someone tall and powerfully built walks into the guild. Completely dressed in black, wearing a balaclava, with bandages covering his face.
The entire hall falls silent.
The only sound echoing through the room is this monster's footsteps.
No one dares to move.
The warmth in the room vanishes, replaced by a suffocating chill.
The moment the receptionist sees him, she runs to the second floor.
Many break into a cold sweat from fear, some glare at him in anger, while others smile. The A-Rank and S-Rank adventurers rise to their feet.
The aura pouring off him is terrifying.
So overwhelming that low-ranked adventurers pass out where they stand. Others, unable to endure the pressure, flee the guild.
Only the strong remain.
The figure everyone fears.
The assassin wanted by the entire world.
The Silent himself.
He walks until he stands between the guild hall and the tavern.
The waitress standing in his path stumbles backward a few steps. She trembles in desperation. The strength leaves her legs, and she collapses to her knees. Tears stream down her face with every step Silent takes toward her.
"P-Please... d-don't kill me..."
But Silent pays her no attention.
He simply stands there... motionless.
A man at the back freezes in terror, yet he understands Silent's actions.
Just like the rumors... he always announces his presence when he decides to spread terror across the world.
Everyone remains frozen in place, but the elf, the fairy, and the beastman are ready to attack.
Martins grins.
"Silent! We're going to kill you!"
"Get ready!"
Silent completely ignores him. He simply stands motionless in the middle of the hall.
The other three S-Rank adventurers are just as excited, smiling at the opportunity before them: a swordsman, an arcanist, and an assassin.
The swordsman draws his blade, pointing it straight at Silent.
His heroic voice eases everyone's fear, if only a little.
"Silent!"
"Today's the day you fall!"
But Silent ignores him as well.
Other adventurers, driven by their sense of justice, can't stand by and watch the sweet waitress be killed by the ruthless assassin. They rise to their feet, ready to fight.
"Get away from her, monster!"
"Yeah!"
"We won't let you slaughter everyone!"
Even though they're afraid and know Silent's reputation, they're willing to fight to stop evil.
The commotion inside the guild grows louder. Many adventurers glance at one another. The whispers begin to spread.
"He's only one man, and there are so many of us."
"We can beat him..."
"We'll make a fortune..."
"The whole world will know my name..."
Everyone tightens their grip on their weapons. Swords, staves, wands, shields, daggers, spears, axes, anything that can be used in battle.
Sensing their hostile intent, Silent slowly raises his head. Long, razor-sharp claws extend from his hands.
Some adventurers smile with confidence. Others swallow hard. The rest tremble with nerves. A true spectrum of expressions.
Even though they're all on their feet, no one dares to make the first move.
Then, one brave adventurer charges forward without a hint of fear.
"Get him!!!"
And every adventurer: warriors, arcanists, assassins, surges toward Silent with the intent to kill.