Morend understood the desires of the seats, so he tailored the letter accordingly, guiding their focus to specific aspects while diverting their attention from others. However, that wretched Alistar always had his own agenda. Fortunately, Cedric took the bait, and now Morend had to serve the dish.
Around twenty years ago, a momentous mission took place, gathering the most talented, strong, and experienced explorers for a venture that bordered on insanity—capturing a creature alive. Though Morend was not part of the team, he knew the outcome: a pyrrhic victory for the organization and an overwhelming one for the nobles.
They succeeded in capturing the creature at the cost of nearly every team member's life. On their return journey, they encountered another creature, leading to the heroic sacrifice of all but three individuals tasked with bringing the captured creature back. Those valiant souls never returned.
Not only did the organization lose many of its finest explorers, but it also lost its best instructors, leaving it as a mere shadow of its former self. To complex matters, the creature they had captured did not remain in their possession. The nobles, who had financed the mission and had already established deep roots within the organization, claimed ownership of it.
Cedric, as the leader of the non-noble faction, naturally aspired to restore the organization's former glory and even attain independence from the nobles. However, from today's standpoint, such dreams seemed nothing more than illusions. Yet, capturing another creature would represent a significant step in the right direction. These creatures possessed the power to kill a human with one try, and studying them could potentially unlock that ability, exclusive to the creatures and the kings.
With this power came something greater than mere strength—it bestowed authority. The people of the kingdom were conditioned to be governed only by those who possessed such power. This rule had been in place since the kingdoms' founding. When the existence of the creatures was first discovered and the fact they had the same ability as the kings, chaos ensued.
Morend knew that his words now had the potential to initiate another special mission. However, he spoke the truth. If a blue-ranked boy like Silas could evade a few attacks from the creature, then it couldn't be as formidable as its brethren.
"I can only repeat what I've stated before. Based on what I've heard and witnessed, it is likely weaker than what the reports of the other creatures describe and even in comparison to my own encounters," he explained to the seats. While he couldn't guarantee the creature's capture, his words sufficed for the seats.
"I believe it would be wise to plan another encounter with more qualified individuals," Rhian expressed his opinion. "Just to err on the side of caution."
All the seats reached a unanimous agreement, and soon a plan was devised. Black-ranked explorers would be sent to assess the creature's strength. Prior to that, explorers would be dispatched to clear the other zones of weaker creatures, ensuring that the black ranks could conserve their strength.
"Morend, use your best man to sweep the zones all the way to the yellow zone, and..." Cedric began to assign a mission to Morend, but Alistar interrupted.
"I believe Morend has done enough. We should entrust this matter to Ethan," Alistar interjected.
Morend was about to object, but Alistar continued, "You yourself stated that your subordinates needed rest. They should use that time to gather strength, as I'm certain they will be needed for other crucial missions."
"They were the ones who made the significant contribution this time. We should allow them to handle it," Cedric supported Morend.
The branch chosen for this mission would naturally receive financial support from the headquarters, an opportunity worth fighting for.
"It's not just about contribution; we must handle this matter with utmost care. The branch led by Morend lacks the capability to fulfill this mission. Ethan has multiple, yellow-ranked teams, making them more than qualified for the task," voiced Seraphina, the only woman among the seats and a marquess herself. She belonged to the noble faction and thus supporting the growth of Ethan, Alistar's son.
Marquess Seraphina was known for her cold and calculating demeanor. Her icy presence seemed to leave no room for warmth or love in her heart. Her thin, almost gaunt appearance suggested a life of rigorous discipline and focus, as if she had no time for indulgence.
Her hair, once a rich brunette, now bore strands of striking silver marking the weight of her responsibilities and the passage of time. It was kept short, framing her face with a no-nonsense practicality that matched her personality. Seraphina's every move exuded an air of authority, making it clear that sentimentality had no place in her world.
This time, the black-ranked explorer facing the five seats could not retort. His branch was undeniably weaker than Ethan's, and there was no way to change that within the short timeframe of two months before the mission commenced. In front of the seats, he appeared genuinely vexed.
"You speak the truth. Ethan is more suitable. However, a reward must be given to Morend and his subordinates for their contribution," Rhian interjected, and no one disagreed.
Thus, the discussion concluded, with Morend providing detailed accounts of what he witnessed and the reports from his men. The seats agreed to assign the mission to Ethan, entrusting him to oversee the forest and to keep the number of monsters to a minimum until the arrival of the explorers from the headquarters. Ethan would receive their full support. Finally, Morend was granted a reward, allowing him to visit the Crafters' Quarter and obtain what he needed.
He departed from the main hall and made his way towards the Crafters' Quarter. Despite missing out on the opportunity to secure a substantial portion of the main quarters' wealth, he seemed content.
If Cedric's proposal to assign him the mission was approved, he would be torn between laughter and tears. Taking on such a task with his already limited team would be overwhelming, biting off more than they could chew.
Nevertheless, he felt quite satisfied with the outcome. The funds he was about to use for purchasing crafts would free him from any further bothers in the foreseeable future.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
With this thought in mind, Morend arrived at the Crafters' Quarter, a mischievous grin playing on his lips as he contemplated ways to make the seats feel the sting of his expenditure.
...
Silas struggled to comprehend what had transpired during the fight. For a brief moment, he was overwhelmed by fear, yet his body instinctively moved, and before he knew it, he had landed a punch on Jack's stomach.
Following the fight, Jack declared Silas the winner, and the kids outside erupted in cheers, though a few were left bewildered, trying to make sense of Silas' newfound skills.
Inside one of the rooms at the orphanage, Silas, Jess, and Kyle patiently waited for their eccentric teacher to join them for a discussion. They had initially intended to begin the conversation right away, but for some reason, Jack insisted on meeting privately. Thus, they found themselves in a state of anticipation.
"Do you really think he sent us into the forest just to gain experience and find relics?" Silas finally broke the silence, voicing the question that had been on his mind since he woke up.
About a week ago, Jack had reappeared after a period of absence, which was not unusual. However, this time he had a special assignment for them. He claimed they were ready for real combat experience, emphasizing that training alone was insufficient.
It was no secret that Jack had never taken his role as an instructor seriously. Most of the time, it was Kyle who taught them fighting techniques, while Elem covered the rest. In addition, he told them that the orphanage's funds were running low, so finding, and selling relics seemed like a viable solution. To aid them in their search, Jack had even provided them with a relic finder, a magical device that was supposed to guide them to the location of relics.
Their skepticism began to grow when they learned that Silas would be appointed as the team leader, a role that Kyle should have rightfully assumed. Nevertheless, their curiosity got the better of them. The fabled forest had intrigued them all, and they were eager to venture inside, especially after Jack reassured them that the forest was not as perilous as it was often portrayed. In hindsight, they realized they had once again been fooled by Jack.
"It is a waste of time to guess what he thinks," Jess replied, still harboring frustration from her defeat.
"Who knows? What's really bugging me is when you became so strong. Were you hiding your abilities before?" Kyle expressed his doubts.
"No, I didn't," Silas denied, shaking his head. "I can't explain it. I know this sounds stupid, but that wasn't me," he continued.
"I'm sure it was you." Kyle persisted, refusing to let the matter rest.
"Stop being a sore loser and accept it. Silas is stronger than you," Jess playfully teased, sticking out her tongue. "That's just the way it is."
"I'm not weaker. And even if I were, that would mean you're weaker than both of us!" Kyle countered.
"Hah, I'm far stronger than Silas."
"..."
Silas wondered what he had done wrong.
"It's quite lively here. It seems like our match has loosened you up a bit," they heard Jack say as he walked toward them. He took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
This was his study room, but they rarely found him there. He pulled open a drawer and retrieved what looked like a small case. Opening it, they saw several pills inside. Jack took one and tossed it into his mouth.
"Now I'm ready."
"Are you taking drugs now?" Kyle asked, his mind flashing back to his former family.
Jack chuckled. "These are special pills for people in my situation. They help me concentrate."
"You should take the whole case then."
"Then you'd have to clean my brain off the carpet, Jes," Jack snickered.
Jess made a disgusted expression in response.
"How about we get serious for a moment? Tell me exactly what happened. I remember telling you to search for relics and fight a couple of small monsters, then return after two or three days. The only thing you all followed was the last instruction, and you did it in a grandiose manner... through reviving," Jack's gaze focused on Silas, expecting an answer from the team leader.
"It's not his fault. The relic finder you gave us was useless. We didn't even encounter any creatures or anything until the end. And why didn't you mention that this darn forest was so dark? There was no sun the entire time, and I was af..," Jess interrupted herself, pausing momentarily. She continued speaking in a quieter tone, "afraid about my skin getting too pale."
"So, it was about your 'skin,' I see," Kyle shot her a knowing look, emphasizing the word 'skin.' "Do you worry about your 'skin' when you go to bed too, since there's no sun in your room?"
"Just shut up for once," Jess retorted, frustrated by Kyle's teasing.
"Is this how it feels when you talk to me?" Jack asked Silas, who was taken aback by the focused look in Jack's eyes. Usually, his teacher would space out or behave strangely. Those pills must be really potent, the boy thought.
"There's still something I don't understand. You said you didn't encounter any monsters or beasts in the forest, except for the creature," Jack asked, recalling something. "Oh, and that relic finder was broken."
Relic finders, being expensive magic crafts, were not something he would casually give to teenagers. Relics were typically found in the deeper parts of the forest, and he had wanted them to explore the relatively safer areas for a while. The idea of finding relics to fund the orphanage was merely a motivational tool to encourage them to do their best.
"What did you say?! I knew it! It was all your fault. Because of that thing, we walked in a straight line for days!" Jes exclaimed, expressing her frustration.
What an unexpected turn of events, Jack pondered. Who would walk in a straight line for days? These kids are more naive than he had anticipated. However, he still found one thing incomprehensible.
"And you didn't encounter anything before the creature?" Jack inquired.
"No, not a thing. I didn't sense anything either. It was as if the whole forest was lifeless. Nothing moved," Silas replied.
"Hmm..." Jack didn't know what to make of this information. He had never heard or experienced anything like it before. The entities inhabiting the forest were not benevolent spirits who would leave you alone; they would harass you relentlessly. What the three of them described sounded more like a leisurely stroll through an ordinary forest, but even in such a forest, one would at least see some animals moving about.
"Please continue. Tell me what happened after that," Jack requested. He had only been informed about the kids being attacked by a creature; he had yet to learn the details of their journey. He had hurried back at that time.
Did he just use the word 'please'?
Kyle, Jes, and Silas sat in silence, perplexed by the unfamiliarity of this person before them. If he claimed to be Jack's other twin, the good one, they might have believed him.
"We walked and walked, taking breaks, and then continued walking," Jes began, trying to recount their journey. "After walking, we rested for a while, and then..."
"I understand, Jes. Thank you," Jack interjected, cutting Jes off.
"Whaa... Who are you?" Jes exclaimed, her surprise evident in her strange sounds.
"Silas," Jack said.
"Yes," Silas acknowledged, picking up where Jes had left off. "After a while, we found ourselves deep inside the forest. To be honest, we were a bit lost," he scratched the back of his head and continued.
"At some point, the pointer inside the relic finder started spinning in circles, and from then on, we really didn't..."
"Wait, it started spinning in circles?" Jack questioned.
The three nodded in agreement.
It was strange for a broken relic to suddenly behave that way. Jack contemplated the possibility that it was actually functioning. He pondered the reasons behind the relic finder's erratic behavior as he stood up and made his way to a cupboard, searching for something that could possibly provide an explanation for everything.
"That creature that you met, did it by chance appear at the same time the device malfunctioned?" Jack inquired, attempting to confirm his theory.
"Not exactly, but it was shortly after," they replied.
As Jack searched through his drawers, he muttered curses until he finally found the object he sought.
"Oh shit, that's why..." he muttered to himself.