The first large-scaled subjugation quest in Dawnstead, took place just one week ago at the northern outskirts of the town. Upon receiving an emergency request from the Dawnstead Knights, the guild had dispatched their adventurers in squads, working together with the knights to subjugate hordes of monsters affected by a phenomenon called Mana Overload.
The adventurers and knights worked together high and low to stop the monsters' rampage. Some were heavily injured during the battle, some lives were lost. But at the most desperate moment of the battle, where hope seemed lost, Belle unleashed her power and ended the battle all by herself.
Some were afraid of the power she had and some were relieved because they survived. But the same questions still lingered in everybody's mind. Who is she? How can a girl wield such power?
Dawnstead – One Week Ago
The morning after the subjugation quest's celebration feast, Dawnstead was quieter than usual.
The previous night's revelry had left the town in a sluggish haze, with most adventurers either sleeping off their exhaustion or nursing mild hangovers. The streets, usually bustling at this hour, felt oddly subdued. Shopkeepers moved at a slower pace. A few knights patrolled lazily, looking as if they, too, had indulged in the previous night's drinks.
But Gale Valtor was already awake.
He hadn't touched a single drop of alcohol the night before. Not because he wasn't the type to drink, but because his mind had been elsewhere. Even after the battle was won, even after Dawnstead's adventurers and knights had returned alive—he couldn't shake what he had seen.
And so, with that weight still pressing on him, he made his way toward the adventurer's guild.
Guildmaster Garrick Voss was already working.
Seated behind his massive wooden desk, he was buried in reports, quill scratching against parchment as he reviewed the recent quests. His expression remained neutral, but the ever-growing pile of paperwork on his desk suggested a long and tiresome morning.
When the office door swung open, he barely looked up.
"Didn't expect to see you again so soon," Garrick said without preamble, setting his quill down. His tired eyes flicked toward Gale, scanning him briefly. "You already filed your report. So, what brings you back?"
Gale closed the door behind him.
"It's about the girl."
Garrick paused. His brow furrowed slightly. "Girl?"
Then, realization flickered across his face.
"…Belle."
Gale nodded.
Now Garrick was interested.
He had met Belle only briefly when she first arrived at the guild. At the time, she seemed like just another unknown adventurer—perhaps a bit unusual, but nothing warranting concern.
But the way Gale spoke now…
This wasn't a simple follow-up.
Something had changed.
Garrick leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You already put in the official report. If you had concerns about her, you should have mentioned it then."
"I didn't have time," Gale replied, shaking his head. "And this isn't something I wanted on record."
That made Garrick sit up straight.
Gale wasn't the type to keep things off the books. He was a by-the-book knight, a man who followed orders and filed reports with military precision. If he wanted something off the record, then it meant…
This was serious.
Garrick's sharp gaze studied him. Then, with a slow nod, he gestured to the chair across from his desk.
"…Alright," he said, voice quieter now. "I'm listening."
Gale didn't sit down.
Instead, he paced. A rare thing for him.
For a moment, he seemed to struggle with how to begin. Not because he doubted what he had seen, but because putting it into words felt impossible.
"The battle," Gale started, voice level. "It should have been a massacre."
Garrick remained silent, watching him.
"The Mana Overload changed everything. The monsters weren't just lost control—they were enhanced. Stronger, faster. Unnatural." His fingers curled into a fist. "We were losing ground fast. No matter how well we fought, no matter how well we held the line… it wasn't enough."
Garrick nodded slightly. The reports he had received painted a similar picture. The battle had been brutal—far worse than expected.
But what came next wasn't in any report.
"And then… she stepped forward." Gale's voice grew heavier. "Belle."
Garrick narrowed his eyes.
"She fought alone," Gale continued, turning toward him. "Without hesitation. Without fear. And not once—not for a single moment—did she look like she was struggling."
A tense silence settled over the room.
Gale's mind replayed the scene—the way she moved, the way she fought.
How her body became a blur as she closed the distance between herself and the monsters, especially the orges, which had been known for their size and brute strength.
How she handled them like bowling, tossing the monsters around into each other.
Then, there was the Mana Titan.
How her fist tore through its armored hide as if it were nothing.
How, even as the Titan unleashed powerful strikes that could shattered the earth itself, she walked out of it unscathed.
How, with one final strike, she obliterated the Titan in an explosion of raw power—a power that no one understood.
Garrick exhaled slowly. "And you're telling me this because…?"
Gale turned to him.
"Because no one—not a single person on that battlefield—could understand what they saw."
A heavy silence hung between them.
Garrick ran a hand down his face, exhaling slowly as he leaned back in his chair.
It wasn't that he doubted Gale. The man was one of the most level-headed, no-nonsense knights in Dawnstead. If he had come here, personally, to discuss something off the record, it meant something.
But this…
This wasn't normal.
Garrick had read his fair share of battle reports. He had listened to firsthand accounts of powerful warriors, master sorcerers, even prodigies said to rival legends.
But he had never—not once—heard of someone like Belle.
"…Damn," he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples.
Gale didn't move. He stood there, arms crossed, expression unreadable. But there was something in his eyes—a tension, a weight—that told Garrick everything he needed to know.
He wasn't here out of curiosity.
He was here because something about that battle had shaken him.
Garrick reached for the small glass bottle sitting on his desk. A habit of his when things got complicated. The sound of liquid sloshing against the glass filled the room as he poured himself a drink.
Gale's eyes followed the motion but said nothing.
He waited.
For a moment, Garrick simply sat there, staring into his drink, letting the silence stretch. Then, finally, he spoke.
"Let's say," Garrick started, voice measured, "that Belle's power is something beyond what we know."
He lifted the glass slightly, as if in thought. The liquid inside reflected the dim light of the room, swirling like something unstable.
"What then?" he asked, tone sharp now. His gaze lifted to meet Gale's. "What do you want to do about it?"
Gale exhaled.
He looked down for a moment, his expression unreadable. But when he spoke again, his voice was quieter.
"I don't know what she is," he admitted. "And to be honest… I don't think she knows either."
Garrick's fingers froze around the glass.
"She doesn't know?"
Something about that struck him more than he expected.
If Belle wasn't aware of her own power—if she wasn't fully in control—then that made things even more dangerous.
He leaned forward slightly, watching Gale carefully. "…And you're sure?"
Gale's jaw tensed.
"I saw her fight." His voice was steady, but there was an edge to it now, something unspoken weighing down his words. "She saved our people. And I don't think she meant any harm."
He hesitated.
"…But someone like her—someone with power like that—she won't stay hidden for long."
Garrick's grip tightened around his glass.
He knew what that meant.
The moment word spread—if it spread—there would be no stopping what came next.
Nobles. The military. The Magic Academy. The Church.
Each would come for their own reasons.
Some would want to control her.
Some would want to destroy her.
Either way, Belle wouldn't have a choice.
And Dawnstead wouldn't be able to stop them.
Garrick let out a slow breath. The realization settled in his mind, cold and heavy.
"We need to keep this under control," Gale said, breaking the silence. "At least until we know more."
For the first time, Garrick saw it.
That uncertainty.
Gale Valtor was a knight. A seasoned warrior. A man used to dealing with threats—monsters, criminals, lawbreakers. He had fought alongside some of the strongest adventurers in the region.
And yet, here he was.
Not just cautious.
But uncertain.
And that alone told Garrick everything.
Slowly, he set his glass down.
"…Alright," he murmured. His expression hardened. "For now, we keep this quiet."
Gale nodded once.
"No records. No reports," Garrick continued, his voice firmer now. "Only those who were there will know." His gaze sharpened. "And we make sure they know not to speak of it."
Gale uncrossed his arms and took a deep breath. "We need to control the information."
Garrick nodded, already thinking.
The first problem: the adventurers.
Dozens of them had been on the battlefield. They had seen Belle fight. Some up close, some from afar. The rumors were already spreading—he had overheard snippets in the guild hall.
"We can't stop the rumors entirely," Garrick admitted. "But we can dilute them."
Gale raised an eyebrow. "How?"
Garrick tapped his fingers on the desk. "We let the adventurers believe what they want… but we also give them a 'reasonable' explanation."
"Go on."
"We spread the story that Belle's power was nothing more than a special type of magic she awakened in desperation. People love hero stories. We make it sound like an extremely rare ability, but not something beyond reason. Just another adventurer unlocking their potential."
Gale nodded slowly. "That might work for the adventurers. But what about my knights?"
Garrick exhaled.
The second problem: the knights.
The knights were disciplined, trained to follow orders. But they weren't immune to curiosity. And some of them might talk—not out of malice, but out of duty. If someone higher up in the chain of command started asking questions, they would answer.
"You need to handle them personally," Garrick said. "Call a private debriefing. Make it clear that this battle is to remain classified. Tell them it's under direct orders from the Dawnstead Captain."
Gale frowned slightly. "Even if I do that, some might still talk."
"Then give them a reason not to."
Gale's frown deepened. "What kind of reason?"
Garrick sighed. "Tell them that Belle might be under investigation."
At that, Gale stiffened.
"…That's dangerous," he muttered. "If the knights believe she's a threat—"
"Not a threat. Just… someone being watched," Garrick clarified. "Make it clear that it's a precaution, not an accusation. That should be enough to keep them quiet for now."
Gale thought for a long moment, then nodded.
"…Alright," he said finally. "I'll handle the knights. You handle the guild."
Another silence.
Then, finally—Gale exhaled.
"For her sake," he said. "And for ours."
Garrick only nodded.
The decision had been made.
Belle's secret would be protected.
At least for now.
Dawnstead – Present Day
Lena leaned against a wall in one of Dawnstead's quieter alleys, arms crossed, irritation clear on her face. "Nothing. Again."
Across from her, Darin ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed. "You're joking."
"I wish I was."
Garron, who stood between them with his arms folded, let out a slow breath through his nose. It was rare for the towering warrior to speak, but when he did, it carried weight.
"That's the fourth person today," he muttered. "Nobody's talking."
Lena's grip on her arms tightened. She hated to admit it, but whoever was covering for Belle knew what they were doing.
They had gone to the taverns, the weapon shops, the inns—every single place where loose lips usually spilled secrets. Yet every time they so much as mentioned Belle's name, they were met with the same answers.
"Never heard of her."
"She's just another adventurer."
"Why are you so interested in some girl?"
It wasn't normal.
Dawnstead had its fair share of gossip—people who would sell a rumor for a few silver coins. And yet, when it came to Belle, it was like an unspoken wall had been built around her.
And it was deliberate.
Lena exhaled sharply, shoving off the wall. "The guild and the knights are in on this. They're covering for her."
Darin scowled. "Why? What's their angle?"
"Maybe they don't trust her either," Garron said. "Or maybe they do, and they don't trust us."
The three of them fell silent.
They had always held a level of status in Dawnstead. People respected them. Feared them, even. Yet now, for the first time—they were the ones being locked out.
And they hated it.
Meanwhile, at the Dawnstead Adventurer's Guild, Garrick had returned from his stay in the capital. He sat in his usual spot at the bar, casually sipping from a tankard.
Across the room, a group of newer adventurers whispered amongst themselves.
"Did you see Trinity Blade earlier? They've been stomping around town all day."
"Yeah, I think they're looking for something."
"Or someone."
Garrick let out a quiet chuckle.
Good.
The information control was working exactly as planned.
After his conversation with Gale a week ago, the guild and knights had made sure to tighten their grip on the situation. No unnecessary details about Belle were ever recorded. Any adventurers who had seen her fight during the subjugation quest had been subtly warned to keep their mouths shut.
And the ones who weren't?
Well… a few words from a knight or a guild official were enough to make them think twice about spreading rumors.
Gale had done his part with the knights, making sure none of his men spoke out of turn. Meanwhile, Garrick had used his influence over the guild to redirect any wandering curiosity.
If someone asked too many questions about Belle, they'd be met with a wall of silence.
Or, better yet—misinformation.
A dozen different versions of Belle's story were now floating around.
Some claimed she was just a regular swordswoman.
Others said she was a runaway noble.
One particularly absurd rumor suggested she was a former knight from another kingdom.
Nothing concrete. Nothing consistent.
It was enough to keep anyone from knowing the truth.
And that included Trinity Blade.
But once Belle returned?
That's when the real confrontation would begin.
End of Chapter 30