Location: Grand Council Boardroom – Morning
The Grand Council Boardroom, once a chamber of whispered plots, now brimmed with an unexpected energy. Parchment scrolls lay abandoned on the long oak table, replaced by platters of morning buns and steaming pots of Harmony Spice Tea. Itsuki Hiroto—now formally Guildmaster of Inter‑Guild Relations—stood at the head of the table, clutching the gilded Title Scroll in one hand and a half‑eaten bun in the other.
All around him, faction heads had transformed from scheming adversaries into eager collaborators:
Master Kaldin of the Dwarven Caravans sampled a cinnamon bun with surprise.
Lady Arindel of the Elven Silk Weavers offered colorful ribbons to tie around the teapots.
High Councilor Corvinus of the Merchant Guild nodded in agreement as he scribbled supply requisitions for cross‑guild pastry exchanges.
Matron Horin of the Beastfolk adjusted ceremonial garlands of wildflowers.
Envoy Eolyn of the Sky Riders arranged feathery banners over the chamber's skylight.
Commander Vekthar of the Demon Guild—reluctantly sipping his first cup of tea—smiled faintly.
Grand Inquisitor Elgar surveyed the scene with an approving nod.
Hiroto cleared his throat, voice still hoarse from the previous day's accolades. "Esteemed Guild Heads, thank you for your… faith in my baking—er, leadership. As your Guildmaster of Inter‑Guild Relations, my first decree is this: daily morning tea and cookie exchange. Together, we shall build unity through carbohydrates."
A ripple of laughter went around the chamber. Even Vekthar cracked a grin as he dipped a sugar‑spice bun in his tea.
"We'll coordinate each guild's specialty," Hiroto continued, finding confidence in the warm glow of collective camaraderie. "Dwarves with rock‑hard ginger biscuits, elves with moon‑petal macarons, merchants with honey‑almond tarts, beastfolk with root‑veggie scones, sky riders with cloud‑light pancakes, and demons with… spicy brimstone rolls."
Corvinus raised an eyebrow. "Brimstone rolls?"
Hiroto shrugged. "They're… very invigorating." He winked.
Matron Horin slapped her hoof‑shod hand on the table. "If they calm my herd's stampede, I'll eat one every dawn."
Beltram pounded his gavel—now polished to a mirror sheen by the diplomatic brunch—and declared, "So be it. The Inter‑Guild Breakfast Accord is ratified!" The floating lanterns drifted lower, sprinkling petals like confetti.
For a moment, peace truly reigned.
Location: Guildmaster's Office – Midday
By midday, Hiroto retreated to his new office—a repurposed council chamber lined with ledger‑shelves and teacup displays. A brass plaque on the door read:
ITSUKI HIROTO
Guildmaster of Inter‑Guild Relations
"Let There Be Tea"
Sera bustled in with a tray of teas, each labeled with guild crests. "Here's today's selection," she announced. "Dwarven Rock‑Spice, Elven Moon‑Mist, Merchant's Honey Blossom, Beastfolk Roots, Sky Rider Cloudfoam, and—of course—Demon's Brimstone."
Hiroto poured a cautious cup of Moon‑Mist. "This one's my favorite." He inhaled. "Calms the mind."
Virelya leaned against the doorframe. "The council loved the breakfast accord. I can't recall so little hostility in decades."
Hiroto sipped. "I never imagined my worst days would lead to peaceful mornings." He set the cup down. "What's next?"
Sera tapped her scroll. "The Guild Alliance Committee meets tomorrow to discuss the Supply‑Chain Concord. They want you to chair."
Virelya's brow furrowed. "That's the committee that once tried to oust you with forged ledgers."
Hiroto winced. "Great." He stared at the brimstone‑spiked bun on a plate. "Maybe I'll lead with dessert."
Location: Solencia Marketplace – Afternoon
Outside the Guild District, word of Hiroto's new title spread like wildfire. In the bustling Solencia Marketplace, colorful stalls sold commemorative pastries—and even souvenir teapots shaped like his hat. Awed townsfolk whispered as Hiroto passed:
"There's the baker‑turned‑Guildmaster!"
"He restored peace with cookies!"
"He's so humble—even his title is sugar‑coated!"
A child offered him a hand‑painted mug: "Tea for the Tea Lord." Hiroto smiled, accepting the gift. As he raised the mug in thanks, the merchant beside him shouted, "Tea for your Guildmaster! Free samples!"
Suddenly, drums rolled in the distance—a slow, ominous cadence that grated against the festive air. Market-goers faltered. The stalls' awnings fluttered with unease.
From the east gate, a ragged courier emerged, clutching a scrap of crimson‑ink parchment. He bobbed toward Hiroto, panting: "Master… Guildmaster… urgent dispatch from the Archives!"
Hiroto's smile faltered. "Archives? What now?" He took the scroll and broke the wax seal. His eyes scanned the lines:
"TO THE WORLD COUNCIL:
Visual Record of Dragon Incident
Authoritative Confirmation
"Transmission of official scrying‑ball recordings and eye‑witness testimonies of Captain Itsuki Hiroto's dragon confrontation."
Hiroto blinked. Sera leaned in. "They… leaked your dragon fight?"
He swallowed. My face… with a dragon head splattered behind me.
The courier whispered, "Magic‑ball plays the footage at the town square's scrying‑pool in five minutes."
A hush fell over the marketplace. Merchants froze mid‑sale. Children stopped playing. Even the sky rider pigeon‑couriers circled in confusion.
Hiroto's heart pounded. Virelya placed a hand on his arm. "They're going to replay the dragon fight."
Hiroto exhaled. "I just wanted to bury that incident."
Location: Town Square Scrying‑Pool – Moments Later
The townsfolk clustered around the scrying‑pool—a basin of enchanted water that mirrored distant events. At the speaker's cue, the pool's surface shimmered, and the moment Hiroto encountered the dragon played on loop:
The dragon's roar, echoing like thunder.
Hiroto flicking a pebble, oblivious, as the dragon's flank exploded.
Civic guards gaping as he strolled away without a scratch.
The ensuing chaos and the fateful "Chair‑Fu" flip.
Gasps and cheers rolled through the crowd. Vendors abandoned stalls to watch the spectacle. "Did he… kill it with a rock?" a child cried. "Look at him! He's a hero AND a dragon slayer!"
Hiroto's cheeks flamed. He ducked behind Virelya. "No, no, no. That was an accident!"
A chorus of voices rose: "Hail the Dragon Slayer!" "All hail the Silent Hand!" "Tea and terror in one man!"
Sera hissed, "Your neutral image—shattered."
Virelya ground her teeth. "They'll revere him as a mythic champion now."
Hiroto swallowed. "Why can't they let me be a baker?"
Location: Guildmaster's Office – Late Afternoon
Back in the sanctum of his office, Hiroto paced among shelves of teacups. The petition scrolls now included demands for a Dragon‑Slayer Holiday and Championship Chairs commemorating his feat. Reports of "Hiroto's heroism" swirled in every ledger.
Sera poured more Moon‑Mist tea. "You need to address this—or they'll canonize you."
Hiroto sank into his gilded chair, head in his hands. "I don't want to be famous for killing dragons. I want tea."
Virelya folded her arms. "Then you'll need damage control. We create a new scroll—'In Memoriam of the Accidental Clerk,' emphasizing his reluctance."
Hiroto peeked up. "Spin doctoring?"
Sera nodded. "We can draft a narrative: 'Hiroto humbly protests his dragon‑slaying legend; urges focus on inter‑guild harmony.'"
Virelya sheathed her resolve. "It may help temper the fervor."
Hiroto exhaled, voice weary. "All right. Let's write the most apologetic press release ever."
Location: Guild Administration Hall – Evening
By evening, the damaged narrative rolled out: banners replaced the Dragon‑Slayer holiday with "Inter‑Guild Peace Day", proclamations described the dragon fight as "a minor disturbance quickly defused by his modest intervention," and the "Championship Chairs" became "Unity Benches" placed in public squares for communal tea gatherings.
In the atrium, a new banner unfurled:
"From Dragon's Roar to Tea‑Time Peace: Hiroto's Humble Apology"
Crowds gathered to read the announcement. Some sighed in relief; some grumbled about lost hero‑worship; children wiped away painted scales from their faces.
Hiroto watched from his office window, sipping a final cup of Harmony Spice. "I may have just turned a legend into a disclaimer."
Sera grinned. "Better than the other way around."
Virelya nodded. "Now let's hope they don't leak your "Play Dead" skill next."
Hiroto raised his cup. "To a quieter tomorrow—please?"
As the sun set on Solencia, the Guildmaster of Inter‑Guild Relations leaned back, praying that for once, the world would accept the humble clerk's apology—and allow him a moment's peace with his precious tea.