The capital was already wide awake by the time we pushed through the morning crowd. The air was alive with the clang of blacksmith hammers, the rich smell of fresh bread, and the tangled hum of voices rising from the marketplace. Laughing shouts drifted from the Adventurers' Guild nearby, blending with the sharp clatter of swords. Stalls flashed with colorful fruits like tiny flags, and people wove past each other in a bright blur.
In the middle of all that noise, we were crouched in a quiet corner of the Guild, packing for the road. Lilis was fussing over her gear with quick hands while Caina hunched over a map, muttering to herself.
"The Guild has its position to protect," Cecilia replied in her calm, airy voice, not even glancing up. "Investigating the app isn't… exactly something they can acknowledge."
"Yeah, but… Edmond did say he'd 'help in the shadows,'" I murmured, just as the man himself stepped out from the deeper hallways.
Vice-Guildmaster Edmond Weiss carried himself like a blade wrapped in a coat. His sharp eyes flicked over us, and then he spoke in that low, steady way of his. "I understand your resolve. But I can't risk dragging the Guild into this. Still… as an individual, I can offer what help I can."
He handed me a small leather pouch. The leather was thick and weathered, the kind made to survive fire and rain. It jingled softly.
"…What's this?"
"The essentials," Edmond said. "It should serve you well."
When I took it, he pulled a folded map from his coat as well—compact and creased from years of use, but the ink was precise. It showed the route from the capital to the Valley of Seals, marked with little red lines and warning sigils. Danger zones bled crimson across the corners.
"This map records the terrain around the Valley, and routes used by past adventurers," Edmond said. "It may help cover your trail."
"That'll be useful," Caina said, bowing slightly. Next to him, Lilis peeked into the pouch and caught a flash of gold. Her grin spread like wildfire as she quickly pressed the pouch closed before the coins could spill out.
"Oooh. Fancy. Not bad for a vice-guildmaster," she said.
"…Be careful," Edmond murmured. His voice was quiet, but his gaze was heavy, like it carried the weight of things he couldn't say out loud.
Guildmaster Galahad Strauss stood nearby, arms crossed, watching us like a stone lion. His broad shoulders seemed to fill the room, the faint glint of his lion-crest armor catching the light.
"I won't stop you," he said at last. "But don't be reckless. The ruins of the Zelva Kingdom are not… just history. We don't know what still sleeps there."
"Yes, sir," I said, straightening, my voice steadier than I felt.
Galahad studied us in silence for a long moment, then let out a quiet sigh. For a second, there was something almost soft in his eyes—like he hated that he admired us. "I wonder why young adventurers like you always end up on paths like this…"
"If the world's broken that way," I said, "then we just have to change it."
Galahad's eyes narrowed faintly. Then, as if deciding something, he disappeared into the back and returned carrying a small badge of dark steel. A lion's crest was carved into it, gleaming under the torchlight.
"What's this?"
"A mark given only to veteran Guild adventurers," he said. "Show it if you run into trouble. It might get you some help."
"…Thank you," I said, taking it carefully. The metal felt cold, solid, like trust forged into a shape.
We left the Guild soon after. As we reached the wide stone steps outside, Lilis glanced back over her shoulder. The morning sun caught her pale hair as it whipped in the breeze.
"…When we come back," she said softly, "we better be able to walk through those doors like we own the place."
A small smile flickered across her face, then faded. Her eyes hardened with the same stubborn fire I knew too well.
"That means getting answers at the Valley of Seals first," I said. I turned toward the city gates, and took the first step.
The noise of the capital faded behind us as we passed through the gates, replaced by the hush of open fields. The sky was pale and heavy with thin clouds, and a cold wind slid around my collar like a whisper.
None of us knew what waited out there. But even with all that silence pressing in, none of us stopped walking.
And just like that, our new journey began.
Notes:
• Lilis - Agile rogue/thief — Leon's close friend and playful teaser. Strikes fast with twin daggers and vanishes into stealth. Petite, light-blonde hair, mischievous green eyes. Reminder: Playful trickster hiding sharp instincts.
• Caina - Calm, brilliant mage — the group's strategist and analyst. Uses lightning magic with precise, logical focus. Slender, silver hair, calm blue eyes. Reminder: Stoic thinker and precision spellcaster.
• Cecilia - Gentle yet firm healer (v1c11) — Leon's emotional support and moral anchor. Wields holy healing and purification magic. Graceful, golden hair, violet eyes. Reminder: Kind priestess with hidden resolve.
• Edmond - Vice-guildmaster (v1c12) — secretly aids Leon despite neutrality. Expert in swift swordplay and covert tactics. Lean, short dark-brown hair, steel-gray eyes. Reminder: Sharp-eyed tactician who works from the shadows.
• Galahad - Adventurers' Guildmaster (v1c12) — commands respect, guards Guild neutrality yet values Leon's resolve. Master greatsword user and morale pillar. Broad-shouldered, graying black hair, piercing dark eyes. Reminder: Stern but honorable veteran leader.