Empoy's first morning in Bran Village was quiet. Too quiet.
He rubbed his eyes, stretched, and muttered, "I think I heard a rooster… or maybe a monster growl."
The village itself was small even by remote standards: a dozen houses at most, a single dirt road that probably didn't appear on any map, and a crumbling Adventurer Guild branch that looked like it might collapse if someone sneezed too hard.
He made his way to the guild building. The sign above the door read:
"Bran Village Adventurer Guild – Please Mind the Roof"
The roof sagged so badly that a few shingles had already fallen into the entrance. Empoy stepped over them, wondering if the guild master had ever heard the word maintenance.
Inside, the guild was… well, functional-ish. A counter covered in dust, a single tired receptionist with a permanent scowl, and a stack of monster bounty forms that were probably older than Empoy himself.
"Registration?" the receptionist asked without looking up.
"Lowest rank po," Empoy said politely, using the polite tone he remembered from his parents.
She glanced at him briefly and then waved him toward a chair. "Take a number. Or don't. Nobody cares."
Empoy blinked. "Ah… ok."
First "Adventure" Assignment
It wasn't long before his first assignment came. A small contract: "Clear the rats from the granary." The client was the village baker, who looked more terrified of losing his bread than of the actual rats.
Empoy sighed. A simple task. Perfectly fine.
But being Empoy, he had to inspect the situation first.
He knelt, examined the granary's structure, counted the number of rats, and noted the cracks in the walls that allowed the little pests to enter.
"Hmm…" he muttered, "If mana-infused traps are placed here… and here… and a simple conductive wire between them… ah, that should solve it without anyone seeing sparks."
He paused. Then shrugged. "Nah. Too obvious for a first day."
So he went in with a broom.
Accidental Heroics
The rats weren't impressed with his broom. One bold rat jumped at him, sending him stumbling into a stack of sacks. Flour flew everywhere.
SFX: POOF!
Empoy coughed, covered in white powder. When he sneezed, a rat flew straight out the open door.
He looked around. The other rats, apparently terrified of this new white-coated version of Empoy, bolted.
He had accidentally saved the granary.
The baker, watching from the doorway, clapped his hands together. "Amazing! You cleared them all in minutes! Incredible!"
Empoy wiped flour off his face. "Ah… yeah. Just… you know… luck."
The receptionist rolled her eyes when he returned to the guild. "Don't get used to praise. You're the lowest rank. Nobody remembers what you do here."
The Quiet Secret
Back in his shack that night, Empoy sat cross-legged on the floor, looking at his toolbox.
He pulled out a few scraps of metal, some leftover mana-thread, and a simple lantern. With a few adjustments, the lantern glowed brighter than any magic lamp he had ever seen.
"Not bad," he muttered. "If I ever need to deal with monsters seriously… these will do the job."
Of course, he wasn't going to use them in front of anyone. Not today. Not ever… officially.
For now, quiet life. Tiny village. Run-down guild. Small "adventures."
Perfect.
Almost perfect.
Because somewhere far above the clouds, faint divine whispers drifted.
"John Paul…""…Empoy…""We still need your help."
Empoy yawned. "Nah. Tomorrow's problem. Tonight, I sleep."