It was early in the morning when Logan awoke the hour for him to once again meet with the Guild Master. He splashed his face with water before waking Aria. They both dressed and then went downstairs to the inn's common room for breakfast.
This was how most of their days began. As usual, Logan ordered a hot chocolate with a local pastry. Aria, as always, ordered the same. Still half-asleep, she lifted the cup to her lips. The drink was still steaming, and she immediately burned her mouth.
"Tch ouch," she hissed.
Logan couldn't help but smile at the sight. At times, she was as innocent as a child, despite all she had endured. Seeing him mock her, she made a quick grimace before attacking her pastry, waiting for her chocolate to cool.
From the start, Logan had always given Aria the bed, while he took his usual chair to sleep. Sometimes, he had seen her tremble and sob in her sleep signs that her demons and terrible experiences were still very much alive.
As they ate quietly, Logan noticed that many glances around the inn were turned toward them. Some of those looks were filled with jealousy and desire. In the time since, Aria had recovered considerably. A stunning beastwoman with fur as white as snow, radiant skin, and luminous eyes traits particular to her tribe, though she surpassed them all.
Because of that, she attracted the covetous stares of many men who dreamed of possessing her. Yet when Logan's red eyes met theirs, all of them quickly looked away and returned to their business. Some were simply intimidated by his eyes, but others knew exactly who he was: a young man who had recently registered as an adventurer.
In just a few months, he had completed countless missions, even breaking the record for the most quests accomplished in a single day. That day, he had returned completely covered in blood, his red eyes cold and unfeeling. It was then that the nickname Red had been given to him by the adventurers present, and from there he rose in rank.
On another mission, he had returned with the heads of three adventurers. The guild's investigation revealed that they had tried to kill him and were responsible for the deaths of many others. Still, returning with three men's heads was not normal; it was horrifying, and it left its mark. Many imagined that if they ever crossed him, their own heads would be the ones rolling on the ground. More recently, he had slain a sea serpent that terrorized the Circular Forest and had killed dozens of adventurers.
No one had ever seen him fight apart from porters, so his true abilities remained unknown. For all these reasons, most adventurers understood it was unwise to act recklessly around him.
At a nearby table, several men were particularly enthusiastic. With mugs of ale in hand, they spoke loudly and cheerfully. Their conversation centered on a topic that had become the city's hottest news, spreading like wildfire. That word was: Heroes.
It was no secret that Sigma, like other nations, had summoned heroes. But Sigma seemed to be the first to present them officially. Just last night, posters had been plastered across the city, inviting citizens to the official presentation to be held in three days' time.
"At last, we'll finally get to see these famous heroes!" one of the men exclaimed.
"I heard there are twenty of them, but only the best six were selected."
"There's even a rumor that one of them holds the Hero class the strongest of all and that he can control multiple elements, including Light!"
"Light?! That's one of the rarest elements!" replied another, nearly spilling his drink.
"No kidding!"
"But what about the others?" someone asked curiously.
"Apparently, some of them were so talented that, instead of letting them go, Zem took a handful into the Royal Knights under his command."
"If they were that talented and still weren't chosen as official heroes, that means the ones selected must be even stronger!"
"Truly, it must have been an exceptional summoning."
"Yeah, I still remember the day the king announced it. Now I can't wait for the inauguration ceremony."
Speculation, rumors, gossip all centered on the heroes, who had become the heart of every conversation. People were excited, which was normal, given the catastrophes and dungeon incidents that continued to rise. The population had sunk into a kind of passive yet gnawing fear: the fear of a sudden dungeon appearing or worse, a dungeon break with its disastrous consequences.
Logan, only half-listening to these conversations, couldn't care less. The only thing he hoped was that Maïli was safe, and that the moment to face his enemies would soon come. For now, he needed to focus on what had to be done saving those who could still be saved as quickly as possible. He gently brushed pastry crumbs from Aria's lips. Once breakfast was finished, it was time to head to the guild.
After briefly walking through the streets, Logan and Aria passed through the guild's doors. Marie, seated at her counter, greeted them with a smile and then led them to the Guild Master's office. He sat comfortably in his ornate chair.
They each took their seats, and it was the Guild Master who spoke first:
"I trust you're both well."
"We're fine, thank you. And you?"
"Well, the work of a Guild Master can be exhausting."
"I don't doubt it."
"Enough small talk. Let's get to the point what is your decision?" he asked, fixing his gaze on Logan.
"For now, I have no means or network due to my recent arrival. With so few resources, it will be difficult for me to act. That's why I have no choice but to accept your offer and conditions."
"I see you've thought this through carefully," he said, placing a small pouch of gold coins on the table.
It was Logan's reward for slaying the sea serpent.
"Good. In that case, I'll provide everything you need. Tell me."
"I need a place where I can keep everyone safe for a long time since there are more than a hundred girls from Aria's tribe in total. And then, I'll need Curis Latil potions accordingly."
"Very well. I'll provide all that. But you know nothing in this world comes free."
"I suspected as much. So, what do you want in exchange?"
"You remember the incident with the serpent, of course."
"How could I forget? We nearly died."
"Well, as you suspected, it was indeed someone's doing. We have reports mentioning men dressed in black robes. We don't yet know who they are or what their goal is. They appear and vanish like ghosts."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"I'm getting there. One of our informants has noticed that several monsters are gathering near a village. More importantly, he spotted one of these robed men among them. All signs point to them preparing to attack the village very soon."
"Taming ability?"
"Perhaps."
"So what exactly do you want me to do?"
"I want you to save every villager in that village."
"How soon must I act?"
"Today. And by the way, I heard the heroes will be presented soon."
"The heroes, huh? That news is of no interest to me."
"I see."
"More importantly, if I intervene, I might encounter these men, right? What are the orders regarding them?"
"Since they're still an unknown group, we don't know their strength so be careful. Still, it would be best to capture one or more alive."
"Fine. But why choose me?"
"Because it's the first time I've ever seen a class named Avenger."
"What…? When?" Logan asked, stunned.
"From the very beginning."
Stanislas tossed him a necklace, which Logan caught. It was completely black, metallic, and engraved with small patterns.
Analysis:
[Necklace of Secrets: Regardless of the opponent's analysis level or skills, it will be impossible to view your status.]
"Consider that another gift from me. And as for why I believe you are more than capable of this mission. Your reputation grows little by little with every exploit. Speaking of which…"
At these words, Marie laid a card in front of him, completely black in color. It signified that Logan had ranked up once more, becoming a D-rank adventurer.
"Everything will unfold in the next three days your mission, the rescue, and the inauguration of the new heroes. I hope you're ready, Logan… or perhaps I should call you by the name others now use. I hope you're ready, Red."
Logan's eyes gleamed with a bright light, as if to answer the question.