A week had passed since the subjugation quest, and Dawnstead had settled back into its familiar rhythm.
The market square was alive with the calls of merchants peddling their wares, the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling meat drifting through the air. Adventurers loitered around the guild hall, swapping exaggerated tales of battle, eager to prove their worth. Children ran through the cobbled streets, laughing, while town guards stood watch with easy expressions—peace had returned.
But that peace shifted the moment three figures strode through the town gates.
A ripple of unease spread among the crowd as heads turned, whispers following in their wake.
Trinity Blade had returned.
They weren't the kind of heroes the people cheered for—nor were they the kind to care. Wherever they walked, people instinctively moved aside, clearing a path without a word.
At the forefront was Garron Von, a towering wall of muscle and steel. His heavy boots struck the ground like hammer blows, his battered tower shield strapped to his back and his broad sword resting at his hip. His stony expression remained unreadable, but his mere presence was enough to make the townsfolk avert their gazes.
Beside him, Lena Fayne moved with chilling elegance. Her piercing blue eyes swept across the crowd, ever watchful, ever judging. She carried herself with an air of superiority, her pristine white healer's cloak untouched by dust. Unlike other healers who greeted the sick and injured with warmth, Lena never stopped to acknowledge anyone.
Trailing slightly behind them, Darin Cale rolled his shoulders, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. His messy crimson hair and sleeveless black jacket made him stand out like a walking flame, his fingers twitching at his side as if itching to set something ablaze. The few adventurers who had the misfortune of sparring with him before subtly edged away, not wanting to become his next burned victim.
Unlike most adventurer teams, Trinity Blade had no rivals. No one dared to challenge them—not because they were the strongest, but because they never played fair.
Still, there was something different about their return.
Garron's gaze hardened as he scanned the town, his mind lingering on the emergency return notice they had received a week ago.
A guild-issued call to return meant only one thing—disaster.
Yet, as he looked around, Dawnstead was untouched. The buildings stood tall, the people unharmed, the guild hall standing firm.
Not a single sign of devastation.
Lena crossed her arms, her tone as sharp as ice. "This isn't what I expected."
"This is ridiculous," Darin scoffed, shaking his head. "An emergency summons, only for us to come back and find the town perfectly fine? Was the guild playing some kind of joke?"
"Doubtful." Garron's deep voice rumbled as he crossed his arms. "Alina wouldn't issue an emergency return order without reason."
Lena hummed in agreement but remained silent.
A shadow of doubt flickered in Garron's eyes, but he pushed it aside. They needed answers.
As they moved deeper into the streets, their presence unsettled those around them.
Other adventurers instinctively stepped aside, casting wary glances.
Townsfolk hurried out of their way, some whispering in hushed tones.
Their reputation preceded them.
Trinity Blade's strength was unquestionable, but their attitude—their habit of looking down on those weaker than them—had earned them few friends. Their mere presence was enough to make lesser adventurers nervous.
And soon, someone was unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.
Toby, a rookie adventurer who recently joined the guild clutched the small pouch of herbs he had been sent to gather, his heart light with excitement. It wasn't much, but to him, every quest was a step closer to becoming a true adventurer.
As he hurried down the cobbled street toward the guild, he barely noticed the three figures blocking his path—until it was too late.
He bumped into a solid wall of muscle and stumbled back, landing hard on the ground.
His herbs scattered across the street.
Garron loomed over him, his heavy boots just inches from Toby's fingers. His dark eyes bored into him, unreadable.
Toby's stomach twisted. Trinity Blade.
A lump formed in his throat as Lena scoffed, her arms crossed.
"Watch where you're walking, runt," she said, her tone sharp.
Toby scrambled to pick up his herbs, his hands trembling. "S-Sorry!"
A hand snatched his wrist mid-reach.
Darin crouched in front of him, his smirk laced with amusement. He held up one of the herbs between his fingers, twirling it. A small flicker of flame ignited at his fingertips, threatening to singe the delicate leaves.
"An errand boy, huh?" Darin mused. "I bet you run around doing all kinds of guild work. Maybe you know something interesting. What happened to the subjugation a week ago?"
Toby swallowed hard. He did know something. He had seen her.
That girl. Belle.
She had fought like a monster on the battlefield, tearing through enemies as if she wasn't human. He had watched with his own eyes. But the guild never spoke of her after.
It was as if she had been erased from the story.
Darin leaned closer, his voice dropping into a whisper. "Come on, kid. We're looking for answers. Who stopped the monster attack?"
Toby's pulse pounded in his ears.
He wanted to say something—wanted to tell the truth. But the way Garron's arms tensed, the way Lena's icy gaze pinned him down, the way Darin played with fire just inches from his face—
He was terrified.
Toby shook his head rapidly. "I—I don't know anything!"
Darin's smirk faltered slightly. "Huh?"
"I wasn't there! I mean—I didn't see anything important!" Toby yelped, squeezing his eyes shut. "I just heard rumors, that's all! The knights and adventurers worked together, and the town was saved! That's it!"
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then, Darin clicked his tongue, extinguishing the flame with a flick of his wrist. He released Toby's hand and stood up.
"Tch. Useless."
Lena exhaled, clearly uninterested in wasting more time. "Let's go. The guild has better answers than this coward."
Garron lingered for a second longer, his gaze still locked onto Toby. Then, without another word, he stepped past him, as if he were nothing but air.
The moment they disappeared down the street, Toby collapsed forward, his whole body trembling.
A hand reached down toward him.
"Hey, kid. You alright?"
Toby looked up. It was another adventurer, an older man with a scar across his chin.
Toby hesitated, then slowly took the offered hand.
As the man helped him up, he sighed. "Trinity Blade… they're strong, no doubt. But if I were you, I'd keep my distance."
Toby swallowed hard, still shaken.
The man clapped him on the shoulder. "Stay safe, rookie."
As Toby watched him walk away, he couldn't shake the feeling that something dangerous was coming.
As they left Toby behind, the streets of Dawnstead stretched ahead of them. The guild hall loomed in the distance, its towering structure standing as the heart of the adventurer community.
But instead of marching straight there, Trinity Blade slowed their pace.
Darin flicked his fingers, summoning a tiny ember and letting it dance above his palm. He watched the flame flicker before snuffing it out with a sharp breath.
"Alright, seriously," he muttered, breaking the silence. "That kid was scared out of his damn mind."
Lena hummed, arms crossed. "They always are."
"No, I mean, more than usual." Darin glanced back in the direction they had come from. "He was hiding something."
Garron walked ahead of them, his heavy steps echoing against the cobblestone road. His expression remained unreadable, but his silence was telling.
Lena sighed dramatically. "Honestly, why do you care? Let's just go to the guild, get our answers, and move on."
Darin shot her a dry look. "You're not even curious?"
"I don't waste time on useless things," she said with a toss of her hair.
Darin smirked. "Is that why you're still D-Rank?"
Lena's cold blue eyes snapped toward him. "Say that again, flame boy."
Darin grinned, but before he could provoke her further, Garron's voice rumbled.
"Enough."
They both shut up immediately.
Garron stopped walking, turning slightly toward them. His gaze was sharp, calculating.
"Think about it," he said, voice low. "We were called back for an emergency. A major subjugation quest that should've threatened the town."
He gestured to the untouched streets, the lively merchants, the carefree adventurers.
"Does this look like a town that needed saving?"
Lena frowned, glancing around. "No way."
Darin clicked his tongue. "No damage, no panic, no casualties." He exhaled. "It's like nothing even happened."
Lena crossed her arms. "That doesn't make sense. Even if the knights and adventurers worked together, they couldn't have handled a large-scale subjugation that fast. If it was really an emergency, there should've been something left behind."
Garron's expression darkened. "Exactly."
Darin scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "That's because there's nobody else stronger than us in this town. The knights are decent, the other adventurers are barely passable, but let's be real—if something that big happened, it should've been us dealing with it."
Lena smirked. "Well, maybe they had help from the gods."
Darin snorted. "Or maybe they're all lying. The guild probably covered something up. There's no way they finished that subjugation without us."
Garron's gaze remained locked on the guild hall. Something didn't add up.
"We'll get our answers soon enough."
But as they walked, one thought lingered in their minds.
If the town wasn't saved by them…
Then who saved it?
The doors of the Dawnstead Adventurer's Guild swung open with a heavy creak as three figures strode inside.
A wave of silence followed their entrance.
It wasn't the kind of silence born from respect.
It was the kind that carried a weight of unease.
Adventurers who had been chatting over drinks quickly hushed their voices. A few instinctively shifted in their seats, while others averted their gazes, pretending to be busy.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
The three figures that strode inside didn't need to announce themselves—everyone already knew who they were.
The air shifted. Conversations that had been lively moments ago were now whispers behind cupped hands. A few adventurers averted their gazes, suddenly interested in their drinks. Others stiffened in their seats, their fingers gripping their weapons or tankards a little too tightly.
Even the newer recruits, those who had only heard rumors of Trinity Blade, felt the unease settle in their bones.
It was an unspoken rule: Don't get in their way.
They were strong—undeniably so. But their strength came with arrogance. And arrogance meant trouble.
Garron walked at the front, his massive frame radiating authority. His armor, battered from past battles, clanked with each step.
Lena followed beside him, her icy blue eyes scanning the room as if already searching for someone to challenge.
Darin walked with his usual swagger, smirking at the tension. "Well, well. It's like they've seen ghosts."
No one laughed.
A group of rookie adventurers, huddled around a mission board, instinctively stepped aside to clear their path. One of them nearly tripped over his own feet, scrambling away as Darin shot him an amused glance.
Lena clicked her tongue. "Tch. Bunch of weaklings."
They made their way straight to the reception desk.
Behind the counter, Alina was meticulously organizing documents, her quill scratching against parchment. She was one of the few people who didn't react with immediate nervousness upon seeing them.
She glanced up.
For a brief moment, a flicker of recognition crossed her face. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by her usual calm, professional demeanor.
"Trinity Blade," she greeted evenly, her voice betraying no emotion. "You've returned."
Darin scoffed, arms crossed. "No thanks to that pointless emergency summon."
Garron ignored him, stepping closer to the counter. His golden-brown eyes locked onto Alina's.
"We want answers."
Alina didn't blink. "About?"
Garron's voice remained steady, but there was an underlying edge to it. "We were summoned back under the assumption that Dawnstead was under attack. But from what we've seen, nothing happened. So tell me—why were we recalled?"
A small pause.
Alina moved with practiced ease, flipping through a document before placing it in front of her. "The subjugation quest was successfully completed," she said, her tone neutral. "The knights and adventurers worked together to handle the situation before it could escalate."
Darin let out a harsh laugh. "You expect us to believe they handled it?"
Lena, who had been silent thus far, frowned slightly. She wasn't as openly dismissive as Darin, but there was a hint of skepticism in her expression.
Garron's brows furrowed. "That still doesn't explain the recall order."
Alina met his gaze evenly. "The situation was assessed to be severe at the time. The recall order was issued as a precaution."
A precaution.
Something about that wording bothered him.
Darin clicked his tongue. "So it was a waste of our time."
Alina didn't respond. She simply held his gaze with unwavering patience, as if waiting for them to leave.
Garron clenched his jaw slightly.
Something felt off.
The guild wasn't outright lying, but the way Alina carefully phrased her words was telling. She wasn't giving details. No mention of how the battle had played out, no mention of who had led the fight.
And that's when it struck him.
No names.
Usually, after major quests, adventurers would talk about who had taken charge. Knights, powerful warriors, someone would be mentioned as the standout figure.
But Alina had not once uttered a single name.
Someone was being left out of the story.
Garron exchanged glances with Lena and Darin.
They weren't done searching for answers.
And they wouldn't stop until they got them.
End of Chapter 26