In the Kingdom of Mythesan
Inside a spacious study, the faint scent of old books and polished wood lingered in the air. Sunlight streamed through large windows, illuminating a well-manicured rose garden outside. The only sounds were the distant chirping of birds from the garden and the soft rustle of paper. Towering bookshelves, several maps, and stacks of documents were arranged on a grand golden desk.
A man stood with his back to the room, facing the window. His slightly messy black hair had a few streaks of blood-red, and a thin scar adorned his cheek. He wore a black uniform combined with light, intricately carved armor. His hands were clasped behind his back.
The man let out a long sigh. "My dearest Shufa... have you given them the mission?"
A woman with a long braid of light blue hair stepped forward. Her skin was fair and her eyes were a sharp blue. She wore a dark blue military uniform with golden epaulets on her shoulders and a red cape draped down her back. Her slender body stood at attention. "Yes, Your Highness."
Shufa was silent for a moment, hesitating, before finally asking, "Your Highness, forgive me for doubting your decision, but why choose them to carry out this mission? You could have us do it easily, Your Highness, or hire higher-level, more competent adventurers."
The man didn’t answer right away, his gaze still fixed on the garden outside. He then turned his body, looking at Shufa. "Gambling."
The man walked and sat down in his plush chair. He tapped his fingers on the surface of the desk. "you know shufa...This might be the biggest gamble of my life. It’s like... I’m planting a bomb on the enemy... but there’s no guarantee the bomb will explode. Or worse... I’ll be the one who dies for sending it."
Seeing the confused expression on Shufa’s face, smile appeared on the man’s lips, softening his features for a moment. "For now, I can’t tell you. Just trust your future husband plan.. my beloved Shufa."
Shufa’s face instantly turned red. Her pupils dilated slightly and she immediately looked down, avoiding the man’s gaze. "N-nonsense...." she muttered very softly.
The man sighed. "And just call me by my name!... there’s no one else here you know... I’m sick of being called ’Your Highness’ or something like that.. just call me Zlan!"
"Z-Zlan... alright," Shufa stammered.
Savzlan smiled. "Good." He gave a light cough and leaned back in his chair. "Alright. What about the murder case in Elfier City?"
Shufa’s professional expression returned. "Currently, no other murder cases have occurred."
Savzlan’s eyes narrowed. He tapped his index finger on his golden desk again. "I thought as much."
"What is it, Zlan?" Shufa tilted her head slightly, her curiosity piqued.
Savzlan’s expression turned serious, his jaw tightening. "Someone... is challenging me to a game of chess... oh no, not someone... or perhaps... more than one person."
"Your Highn— Zlan... I don’t understand what you’re talking about," Shufa said.
Savzlan tapped his desk harder. "First... Murders involving nobles occurred in Elfier City... Second... a demon’s corpse was found near the city... the killer? Unknown... Did the demon attack a human... or was it killed by a human... or neither... what’s clear is that this could trigger a war if the Demon Kingdom finds out... or if that old man finds out."
"Furthermore... a high-level adventurer was murdered in the southern dungeon..." The man gave a thin smile. "The perpetrator isn’t from the human kingdom, but from Rituk... and according to Xavier’s report, that dickhead is likely around level 100... or more..this shit get more interesting."
He tapped the desk softly, this time with his palm, and leaned his body forward. "There’s more... Fathir suddenly taking a quest... and now he’s in Elfier City... and... ever since the murder in the dungeon... the murders in the city have stopped."
Shufa furrowed her brow, her mind racing to connect all the information she received from the man before her.
"Everything happened around the same time... SAME TIMEE!... what is this, Shufa!!.. what are they planning!.. what the fuck is happening right now huh!! Or maybe there’s a conflict between groups happening here, hmm? I don’t know... is Fathir’s presence the reason the murders in Elfier stopped?... I don’t know... or maybe... maybeee there are many things we haven’t discovered yet..."
Zlan slammed his hand on the desk. The heavy thud echoed in the quiet study, making Shufa flinch slightly.
His eyes were shining with excitement. "Shit!!... I’m so excited now, you know Shufa... My first move began when I sent that party to that city to infiltrate his network." Zlan chuckled. "A prosperous city they say..... you know...That city is very difficult for the kingdom to touch because.. its own citizens act as a shield for the criminals there... heh... we’ll just have to see how my gamble pays off."
"Oh," Zlan seemed to remember something. "Have the fake adventurer cards and the funds they need been sent?"
Shufa smiled. "Yes, Your Highness."
Friday, April 17th.
The wheels of the luxurious horse-drawn carriage creaked over the dirt road. The rhythmic clatter of the horses’ hooves provided a steady beat to their journey. Its interior was lined with soft velvet and fine wood carvings. Inside, the carriage swayed gently, the air smelling of polished wood and old leather. Zaefal, dressed in an all-black guard’s uniform, sat in the front as the driver.
Inside, Fyar looked at his new adventurer card:
Binder
Age: 24
Level: 28
Status: Active Hunter
Class: Hunter
Level Up Status: 7%
Fyar sighed, then knocked on the front wall of the carriage. "Isn’t my level a bit too high? Also, are we there yet?"
"Just accept it fyar.... Besides, my level is thirty-two, just as weird as you...," Zaefal answered without turning around. "hmm About three more hours. Since it’s the monster season now, I’m taking the safe route."
Currently, Fyar was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with brown pants and a black long coat. "What level are the monsters that usually appear during this season?"
"Three to fifteen. Not too high, but it’s still a hassle and draining...our focus only on the mission right now..," Zaefal answered curtly.
"I see," Fyar said. He then looked at the simple mask with a stickman’s face on it in his hand. "This mask is so ugly, too. Well... though it does suit my disguise."
"Tch, stop complaining, purple hair!" Rasie hissed. He was wearing a practical black leather armor set, common for a hired guard.
Fyar hissed back. "Tch... don’t complain, don’t complain."
Rasie gave a light laugh. "Heh... whose fault is it for choosing that role?"
Fyar then looked at Illya, who was sitting next to Rasie. The girl was wearing a luxurious pink dress, complete with a small noblewoman’s hat that adorned her neatly styled short green hair. "Oh yeah, Illya, what was your parents’ reaction when you got this mission?"
Illya sighed, her gaze dropping to her hands as her thumbs traced small circles over one another. Her fingers intertwined in her lap. "They already knew before I told them fyar."
"So your parents just agreed to it? just like that?" Fyar raised an eyebrow.
Illya nodded. "y-yeah... I was surprised too. But when I asked them, their faces just went pale."
They were threatened, they must have been threatened!, Fyar thought to himself.
Fyar cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. "According to our roles..." He pointed at Rasie. "From now on, you are Autumn, Illya’s personal guard. Your personality is gentle and patient, but also disciplined." Fyar furrowed his brow slightly. "Can you do it, Mommy Autumn?"
Rasie shuddered in disgust. "Stop calling me that, you weirdo!"
Fyar pointed at Illya. "You, Illya... will still use your real identity... you are a merchant and investor offering investments to that city... it’s a bit risky, actually, using your real identity... but we don’t have another choice... the most important thing is to take care of yourself Illya."
Fyar pointed at himself. "And I am Binder, a desperate underground fighter who wants to join Martis’s organization. Huh... I might be the one at most risk here." He paused for a moment. "Our actual job is just to gather information, document their connections, and report what’s really happening in that city... We should avoid unnecessary battles as much as possible... but if it’s unavoidable, then—"
"Punch, attack, kill, punch firee!!!!" Rasie cut in with a wide grin.
"Yeah, yeah," Fyar agreed. He clapped his hands once. The sharp sound cut through the carriage’s quiet interior, making Illya and Rasie look at him attentively. His expression turned serious. "Let’s hope we’re lucky and come back with smiles on our faces... whatever happens next... remember that it was destined to happen."
Rasie and Illya looked at each other, then nodded in unison.
Zaefal, who was in the front, let out a light sigh. He then murmured softly, "Wait for me, Seraphina... I might need a little more time to remember you."