Diana observed her parents exchange kisses and laugh like two teenagers in the majestic garden of the Gens Valeria. Xhantus Valerius and Lucia Valeria, nominally the patriarch and matriarch of her family, but in reality, even less important than some high-level servants that they had on their retinue.

"Spoiled and still acting like children," an older feminine voice came from behind her.

Diana clenched her jaw as she turned to meet Cornelia Valeria Novafamilia, her grandmother, holding an extremely powerful variant of a [Stealth] in her hands.

"Grandmother," Diana saluted with a deadpan.

Cornelia reached her granddaughter at the edge of the balcony and looked down at her son, Xhantus, and that silly girl that he had married. While usually extremely formal and well-spoken, the older woman, wearing a divinely elegant dress, shrugged and spoke directly.

"Your father never had it in him," she said plainly. "Another mother would have bothered to hope for a better son or try to change him into something that he is not. Me? I'm patient, Diana."

"Are you?" Diana Valeria Scarlatta frowned. "How so, sending [Spies] and [Infiltrators] to the Adventurers' Guild to check on me every time I go on a mission?"

"Shush, child," Cornelia waved her hand, scowling, "I said patient, not naïve. You are the perfect successor for this family, Diana. No one will oppose it."

"I will," Diana balled her fists. Not even reaching almost Named Adventurer status had liberated the woman from her grandmother's claws. "You left my father alone; why can't you leave me alone?"

"Oh," Cornelia giggled with a hand in front of her mouth, "you are nothing like your father, dear. You are all me. I was too busy cleaning up the house ever to get my hands on other classes. You? You are exactly what we need for our family to rise higher. I cut the rot from the roots, and now, the flowers can finally blossom."

"Grandmother," Diana cut her off, "I'm nothing like you."

"It is fine, dear. You'll see it in time. There’s only so many fruits a tree can bear without spawning a stronger sap."

Diana trembled in anger, offended by the sole proposition that she could be anything like that monster of her grandmother. Cornelia Valeria Novafamilia had slaughtered her whole family, putting everyone she didn't like on the chopping block. The law never caught up to her because noble families had their own way of dealing with noble blood. As long as a civilian wasn't involved, the Watch had no business poking their noses into their estates.

"Grandmother, I will never be part of this family. Your wretched, manipulative plans should disregard me in full. I am no child to be reared for a position of power. I have my own plans—my own life."

"We all do, until something greater calls," Cornelia sighed, turning from her granddaughter to her son down below. "You are still young, dear. One day, you'll come to understand the stakes we face."

"One day?!" Diana was fuming now. Her grandmother had the ability to get under her skin like no one else in her family. While she was usually collected and unbothered, especially since no one liked to poke the dangerous, unhinged [Hunter], her grandma was completely unaffected by it. "Grandma, I am one big mission away from Named Adventurer status. I hunt the most dangerous men and monsters alone. That's my job. And you think I don't understand the stakes?"

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Cornelia smiled as she raised her eyes toward the forest her family owned inside the walls of Amorium—she looked at the distant sun, projecting long shadows as it sought its daily sleep.

"Alone, dear. You'll understand one day. I only understood when I met your grandfather. So, you'll meet someone and understand the need to protect those you love. Then, you'll come to understand me and just how similar we are. For now, enjoy your youth. This carefree living won't last forever. Duty always knocks when we least expect it."

Cornelia made to walk back inside the mansion, but Diana barred her path.

"Grandmother," Diana hissed, "there's not one person in this house that would be able to touch me if I were to strip you of all your enchanted items right now and give rest to all the blood you shed by simply throwing you off the balcony."

Cornelia bent forward, not one hint of fear in her eyes, and got closer to Diana's ear.

"Dear, do you know how many people I threw off this balcony? Careful, you are already becoming too much like me."

That said, Cornelia left a stunned Diana as she walked back inside.

The Scarlet Hunter looked down at her body and then at the retreating figure of her grandmother, wondering if the old woman was actually right.

…

Diana sensed a cloaked figure entering the room with his skills active. She was writing something down as she sighed and held out a hand.

"Callistus," Diana called out the name.

"I thought I had you this time," the man replied, turning off his skills as Diana turned around with her chair.

"Your report."

"No chat, as always," the tall, dark Elf lamented. "Your Human has yet to come back from outside the walls. For all we know, he might have fled. The [Corporal] he fought was poisoned. The Watch is keeping most of it under wraps, and I almost got sniped while getting my hands on some [Healer]'s report. That damn [Captain]’s security is unreal."

Diana drummed her fingers on the table, frowning.

"Did the [Guards] at the gate say anything about the Human?"

"Only that he didn't come back. I asked at all the gates. They would have remembered seeing a Human come back into Amorium late at night, trust me."

Diana, at a loss, reclined back on the chair.

"What do you think?" She asked the [Rogue]-[Infiltrator].

"At first glance, it looks like he made a run for it. However, my skills are not in agreement with me. His house is still his, and his belongings, whatever they are, are still there. None of his friends seem bothered or alarmed yet. Kidnapping is my first guess."

"My grandmother?" Diana asked with a frown.

"I don't think so," Callistus shrugged. "It's more like he just vanished outside the walls. Do they have a safe house out there, you think?"

"They might," Diana muttered.

"Do you need anything else?"

Diana looked at the man’s face—one of the many faces that he wore. Same as the name. She knew him as Callistus and, like any [Bounty Hunter] worth her salt, she had a deep network of less than reputable individuals to help her scout those who went too far – from adventurers who did not respect the loot share and decided to evade or kill their teammates to simple rogues who thought themselves above the law. Monsters, too, as long as there was a lot of scouting and recon involved, were a part of her job description.

At twenty-five, she was already the most promising Adventurer on Epretos, known to dive into danger and square off with higher-leveled people for a living. And, like all people who had already accumulated great experience, she had had hunches as soon as she had come back to Amorium. She had initially thought it would have been a very quick stop in order to spend as little time as possible with her family, but something had piqued her attention.

She had found a very nice boy snooping around the forest to steal some truffles. Now, what had actually made her interested was hearing such a particular character talk about his Human friend. As soon as she had started asking around, she had heard all manners of stories about this man.

He was not only working in one of the biggest bakeries in the city, but he had apparently already left his mark with a new type of bread. Diana didn't know much more than the basics of cooking, but after consulting the family's [Chefs], she had heard them praise this new product endlessly.

I must know, she thought. There's a lot at stake around this Human.

She was in the military arena, watching the man, younger than she would have guessed – probably her age – wield a Vanedeni sword. Things were getting even more particular than she had initially gleaned.

All her instincts were telling her that this Human was someone of great worth. Possibly, someone to hunt for.