Inside the Wall — Great Guild of Salusbreath, Meeting Hall — 1:30 PM
Inside the Great Wall of Salusbreath, standing at the center of the main boulevard, rose a magnificent castle-like edifice emblazoned with the insignias of the four primary guilds of Salusbreath. This was the Great Guild of Salusbreath—the venue where Rank A and Rank S adventurers gathered to accept high-tier contracts no one else could execute, and the hall where the Guild Masters held their most crucial summits.
Right now, in the main assembly chamber, the four Guild Masters had convened once again for their bi-annual conference.
Robert sat in a dark-red throne-like chair topped with the golden sun emblem of WildHorizon. Edmund, Guild Master of Blackwater, sat directly to Robert's left, his greyish throne bearing the symbol of a black vortex on its headrest. To Robert's right sat Anna, Guild Master of Goldenthorns, resting on a green chair adorned with a crown of golden thorns. To Anna's right sat Igna, Guild Master of FrozenDawn, occupying a dark-blue throne capped with an ice sword emblem. Head of the table stood a throne noticeably larger than the rest, crafted in stark white and crowned with a crimson blood-rose—the designated seat of Cedric, Commander of the Royal Guard.
"We had best commence this meeting as quickly as possible; my adventurers have been insufferably restless lately," Igna noted.
"Tell me about it," Edmund chuckled softly. "Mine look for a fight with anyone who so much as glances at them sideways."
"Same with mine," Robert chimed in.
"Well, let's hope those grand delusions fade once the Annual Great Hunt rolls around," Anna stated severely. Her own adventurers had tried pulling the same antics, but her iron fist had shut them down before they could even move.
"I agree with Lady Anna. The Annual Great Hunt approaches, and our adventurers must be prepared for any unexpected developments," Cedric declared, distributing a stack of official reports to each Guild Master. "These are the intelligence records regarding magical beast sightings recorded over the past year."
"Rats..." Igna commented with a look of disgust as she scanned the document.
"Indeed. Giant rats will be our primary threat this year," Cedric confirmed. "Are all your preparations in order?"
The Guild Masters nodded in unison. This was easily the single most critical event for Salusbreath; ensuring the safety of the surrounding towns and villages within the realm was paramount.
"Have no doubts about that, young Cedric," Edmund began. "However, as you are well aware, every single one of our guilds suffered heavy losses among our veteran roster this year." New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
"Once our main body of adventurers departs for the Annual Great Hunt, we fear the capital will be left without sufficient high-tier adventurers to maintain its defense," Anna added.
Cedric nodded in understanding. He was acutely aware of the guilds' current predicament and the severe shortage of high-tier combatants.
"Rest assured, our operational plans remain unchanged. The Royal Guard will assume responsibility for neutralizing any threats to the capital during the two months you are away," Cedric affirmed without a hint of hesitation. His guards had been training extensively for this exact contingency.
"Which brings us to our next order of business," Edmund announced, pulling out a thick sheaf of field reports. "The monster behavior."
All eyes turned toward Edmund; every leader present understood precisely what he was referring to. They had all noticed the anomaly themselves.
"Ha! And here I thought I was the only one worrying about it," Robert laughed softly.
"I'm not so old that I fail to notice obvious patterns," Edmund chuckled alongside Robert before continuing. "The monsters are exhibiting a distinct form of cognitive evolution. Without a doubt, they are growing noticeably smarter."
The Guild Masters nodded gravely. Every guild had recently received battered parties sent retreating by mere goblins. Then there were the pig-men—further proof of strategic timing, as they had struck right when the city was weakened following the war against Fortress.
"Regrettably, there is little we can do at the present moment," Igna remarked.
"The main force departs in a few weeks, leaving us no time to conduct a thorough reconnaissance expedition... nor do we have the specialized personnel to spare," Robert noted.
"Our only real hope rests with Merlín. I dispatched a letter to him a few days ago, and he replied today confirming he is already en route," Edmund revealed.
"Let us hope he arrives swiftly. If an emergency strikes while we are away... the civilian sector outside the Wall will be incinerated in seconds," Cedric admitted frankly. Even he knew his Royal Guards lacked the raw combat efficiency of seasoned adventurers. "The Royal Guard is simply not trained to defend an expansive territory like Salusbreath on its own."
"Well, for today, we must focus our efforts on the immediate and present threat: the horde," Igna reminded them.
"Precisely. One step at a time. Where is the horde projected to strike first?" Robert asked.
"We estimate Saint Rose. The giant rats are currently nesting in the woodland region adjacent to the settlement," Cedric answered.
"That's a three-day journey by caravan... We'll be departing earlier than anticipated, won't we?" Edmund inquired.
"A full week early, just to be safe," Cedric replied.
The council of leaders continued their deliberations for the next two hours, refining every minute detail. Protecting the realm's cities and villages demanded absolute precision.
The looming threat of monsters developing higher intelligence weighed heavily on their minds, but given the urgency of the impending hunt, there was simply no