"I'm alive!!" Anisia gasped as she jolted upright, clutching her chest, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"I saw the heavens for a moment there," she muttered, still catching her breath.
Lucius, standing beside her, gave her a firm pat on the back and sighed. "I bet you did," he said, shaking his head with a tired smile.
"Caught her snooping around," Alendro, a fashionably dressed young man with a sly grin, announced as he strutted into the hall. In his arms squirmed a flustered Odessa, trying her best to avoid eye contact with the crowd staring at her.
He unceremoniously dropped her to the floor with a thud. "There."
"Ugh! Ouch! Can't you be a little more gentle with a lady?!" Odessa snapped, rubbing her bruised rear as she glared up at him.
"Tch. You're lucky I didn't throw you over the wall," Alendro scoffed, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve.
"So, did you come to post a request or what?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"No, no—actually I came to join the guild!!" Odessa declared, with a determined gleam in her eyes.
"Yay! Another new recruit!" cheered some of the members scattered around the guildhall, raising mugs and weapons in a noisy welcome.
'Aren't they overreacting…?' Odessa thought nervously, inching back slightly.
"So," Dandrol said, stepping forward with his usual calm expression. "Why would you want to join our guild?"
Odessa hesitated, then straightened up and said honestly, "I want to experience what guild life is really like!"
Dandrol looked her over for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Fine then."
'Wait—just like that?!' Odessa blinked in confusion.
"Well," said a woman stepping forward. She was brown-skinned, wore a fitted, suit-like robe, and had rectangular glasses perched on her nose. A staff was strapped to her back. "We do need more members. But you'll have to complete a hundred requests before you can get an official guild mark."
"That's fair enough! Thank you all so much!" Odessa beamed with a light bow.
"Follow me. Let's start your registration," the woman said, turning briskly.
"Of course!" Odessa nodded, practically skipping after her.
Back near the other table, Dandrol saw Anisia's hand signal to come closer so he stepped closer to her and lowered she voice. "Master Dandrol."
"Yes, Anisia?" he responded, watching her carefully.
She leaned in, her expression turning grave. "The Dark Mage Guild… they're moving again. More secretive than before."
Dandrol's face darkened. "Do you know what they're planning?"
"From the information we've gathered…" she glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "They're attempting to revive the Vampire Goddess."
Dandrol's hand clenched into a fist. "Those bastards… do they even know what they're messing with?"
"They're probably just brainwashed zealots, following whatever lies their guild feeds them," Lucius muttered with disdain.
"So what do we do?" Anisia asked quietly.
"We can't move yet. The last time we tried, the Ministry of Magic refused to pay us and nearly branded us as vigilantes," Dandrol growled.
"Maybe the Ministry's in on it," Lucius suggested darkly.
"That's a possibility. Wouldn't surprise me in the least," Dandrol chuckled bitterly. "Politics always stinks when blood's involved."
Anisia sighed. "Then… our hands are tied."
"Master Dandrol?" a young voice piped up. It was Damien—a young elf with bright brown eyes. His fair skin and soft features made him look younger than he was, but his tone was earnest.
"Yes, Damien?" Dandrol turned to him.
"What exactly is the Dark Mage Guild?" he asked since he was eavesdropping.
Dandrol's expression hardened. "Monsters. Not because of what they look like, but because of what's in their hearts. Bloodthirsty bastards."
"They worship chaos—some dream of war, others just want power. Many of them aren't even united in purpose, and others just want the freedom to kill without consequences. But it's our job to stop them. Arrest them when we can. Kill them when we must." His voice was low, firm.
"Killing them is better if they've done irredeemable things," he added without flinching.
Damien nodded solemnly. "That makes sense…"
"Also," he suddenly perked up, turning to Anisia, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Anisia!"
Anisia gave a small laugh and smiled. "Nice to meet you too…"
"Damien." he said.
Lucius narrowed his eyes and subtly shifted closer to Anisia, watching Damien like a hawk.
"So," Lucius asked, voice casual but probing, "why'd you join the guild?"
Damien smiled earnestly. "Because I was inspired by all of you. And… Lady Anisia saved my village. I owe her everything."
"Oh… I see," Lucius said, his tone softening.
"Um… Lady Anisia," Damien stammered, glancing sideways, "may I ask… how old you are?"
Anisia grinned and pointed to Lucius beside her. "Me and Lucius? We're both eighteen."
"Eighteen… wow," Damien murmured, a little awestruck. "You're already so strong…"
Lucius gave him a sidelong glance. "Strength doesn't come from age, kid. It comes from surviving."
"R-Right!" Damien nodded, puffing up a little.
"And we're the same age as well!" Damien whispered to himself with a hopeful grin.
Lucius's ears twitched. He clearly heard that.
"You don't have a chance, elf boy," he scoffed, not even turning to look at Damien.
"Says who?!" Damien snapped, puffing up. "From the rumors I heard, you're a total womanizer!"
Lucius raised an eyebrow, amused. "So what? I am obviously a charming young man."
"I knew it! That's why I'm not backing down!" Damien shot back.
Lucius spun around, his tone sharp. "Listen up. I can clearly see you like my sister, but guess what? You have zero chance. None. Nada. She's way out of your league. You're not the first fool to fall for a goddess."
"Lucius, stop it!" Anisia blurted out, her cheeks flushed red. "You're embarrassing me!"
But Lucius wasn't done. He turned to Damien with a devilish grin. "Also, just so you know, she's a female gorilla. A brutal, horrible brute. She may look delicate now, but as a fighter she's a monster. And if she ends up with any man, I fear she'll devour him whole."
"You bastard!!" Anisia shrieked, lunging at him. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to her level, her fingers tightening around his neck.
"Did I lie, monster sister?!" Lucius choked out, laughing.
Their scuffle erupted into a full-on wrestling match right in the middle of the guild hall, chairs clattering and onlookers backing away in amused alarm.
Damien blinked. "Uh… Master Dandrol? Aren't you afraid they'll destroy the guild?"
Dandrol, shrugged. "They'll stop before someone actually dies."
"And if they don't?" Damien asked.
"They'll repair the place. Ahahahhaha."