It had been some time since the Black Luminaries had slain the vampire and made their name echo within the halls of the Velmoria Guild. Through grit, blood, and sheer will, Jace and Nick completed several high-risk missions. Word of their exploits spread like wildfire, and soon, the once-overlooked duo was officially promoted to B-rank.
Their names were starting to mean something.
Inside the guild's tavern hall, the Black Luminaries sat around their usual table. Jace leaned back on his chair, his dark eyes calm, arms folded, observing the chatter of adventurers around them. Nick, ever the optimist, was laughing over a story told by a nearby adventurer, a mug of ale in hand.
The peace was disrupted as a man approached them with a confident stride.
He was striking , tall, finely dressed in a dark crimson cloak, his red hair cascading slightly over one shoulder. His black eyes glinted with amusement, though something unreadable simmered beneath them.
"Well, well," he began smoothly, his voice rich and poised. "So you're the famed Black Luminaries. You must be the Berserker Jace, and you " he turned to Nick with a polite nod, "are the Master of Healing, I presume?"
Nick raised a brow and chuckled. "I've no idea where we got those titles, but… yeah. That's us."
Jace didn't move, still leaning back casually. His tone was flat, but his gaze sharpened. "State your business. We're busy."
The stranger grinned. "Oh! My apologies. Allow me to introduce myself." He gave a small, refined bow. "I'm Auxen. I've come to hire you two… personally."
Jace leaned forward, intrigued. "Hire us? For what?"
"A personal request," Auxen said smoothly.
Jace glanced at Nick with confusion. "What's a personal request?"
Nick adjusted his glasses (Don't know from where he got those glasses in an instantance) and answered matter-of-factly. "When a party hits B-rank or higher, clients begin to offer missions directly instead of posting them publicly. They pay more, and the stakes are usually higher too."
Jace frowned slightly. "I didn't see anything about that in the guild book."
Auxen chuckled. "That's because it's not an official rule. It's just how things work. People with power and coin tend to trust parties who've already proven themselves. If they wanted amateurs, they'd just post a notice on the board."
Jace smirked. "So… this is our chance to shine in the real game."
Nick and Auxen both nodded.
Auxen's tone grew more serious as he spoke. "My village lies near the Eldorian Forest, along the human-elven border. Recently, it's been under attack by a group of bandits but these aren't ordinary raiders. They're organized… well-armed… possibly even ex-military. The guards we had were either slaughtered or fled. I need you to eliminate them."
Jace stood, his expression hardened. "We'll confirm it with the guild and head out by morning."
Nick was already pulling out his checklist. "Looks like we've got another adventure on our hands."
Auxen smiled, but his eyes lingered on Jace's sword-Nightlily-for just a second longer than necessary.
As the group finalized the request and the paperwork was approved, a subtle weight shifted in the air.
The Black Luminaries were no longer rising stars they were now a force others began to notice.
And in the shadow of the Eldorian trees… someone was already waiting.
To be continued...