Ethan and Ashley strolled down the winding cobblestone street, the early morning sun casting a golden hue over the bustling town. Parties of adventurers could be seen all around, either buying supplies or filling up their teams roster.

A cool breeze stirred the leaves, and the sounds of distant birdsong drifted through the air. As they neared the tavern, the familiar scent of freshly baked bread, simmering stews, and roasting meats greeted them. Their stomachs growled in unison, but it wasn’t just hunger that drove them forward—today was another step toward their next big move.

“Can you smell that?” Ashley grinned, her eyes sparkling. “It’s like the tavern’s welcoming us back with open arms.”

Ethan chuckled, adjusting his cloak. “I'm famished, we should take a bite with the rest.”

With a groan of wood, the tavern door creaked open, and they stepped into the familiar warmth. The atmosphere inside was lively, with patrons chatting, clinking mugs, and the soft hum of quiet music in the background. At the far corner, bathed in the soft rays of sunlight, sat Lorenz—deep in concentration, inspecting a selection of carefully maintained weapons.

However, it wasn’t just Lorenz who caught their attention. Across from him, seated with an air of quiet elegance, was a woman. Her hair, a cascade of silken orange-red waves, framed her sharp features. She spoke in a low, measured tone, her words flowing with a grace that bordered on hypnotic. Lorenz seemed… distracted, his eyes flicking over the weapons on the table but always returning to her.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. “I can’t believe it. He’s actually talking to her.”

Ethan leaned in closer, squinting as he tried to listen. “Ah the bane of far too many men, I haven't seen a far more dangerous adversary than a charming woman,” the form of the alluring Miss Trust appeared on Ethan's mind.

Ashley grinned mischievously. “That woman’s got a way with words. Looks like she’s trying to recruit him.”

This is an interesting development,” Ethan replied, shaking his head. “Lorenz might be the type to switch sides.”

They walked up to the table just as the woman leaned in a little too close to Lorenz, her fingers gently caressing the edge of a sword. Her voice, soft but persuasive, reached Ethan’s ears: “I could offer you so much more, you know. My faction could use someone of your talents.”

Lorenz straightened up in his chair, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he glanced at Ethan. He turned back to the woman, his expression suddenly hardening, as he waved a dismissive hand. “You flatter me, my lady, but no amount of silver will tempt me to betray my word.”

The woman, unflustered by his rejection, gave him a polite, practiced smile. “Of course. It was a long shot. But do think on it.” She rose from her chair with all the grace of a dancer, her eyes lingering on Lorenz for a moment longer before she turned and left the table, her footsteps echoing softly as she disappeared into the crowd.

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle. “You really are a popular man, Lorenz. First, the goblins, now the ladies.”

Lorenz shook his head with a smile, his tone a mixture of amusement and slight embarrassment. “Come on boss, my handsomeness couldn't ave lured the goblins. I’m just trying to get some work done. Some people don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Ashley grinned, crossing her arms. “I bet she’s used to getting what she wants. But it looks like she found herself a challenge.”

“Good thing she didn’t get any ideas,” Ethan said, giving Lorenz a pointed look. “We treasure our skilled future runesmith."

“Indeed,” Lorenz replied with a wink. “I’m a distinguished gentleman after all.”

As if on cue, the tavern door swung open again, and this time, the figure that entered was unmistakable. Cassius walked in with a tired but steady pace, his shoulders sagging slightly under the weight of bandages wrapped around his teenage frame. Despite his evident fatigue, he still held his head high, a grin plastered across his face.

“Cassius!” Ashley called out, a note of concern creeping into her voice. “You look like you’ve been through a war.”

Cassius waved off the worry in her tone with a casual flick of his hand. “It’s nothing. Just a few cuts and bruises from dealing with a handful of goblins. You know how it goes.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “You fought goblins alone, didn’t you?”

Cassius chuckled. “What's with the worry? You took a villain by yourself.”

“The villain you first took on by yourself, plus, I have my reasons.”

“Right, and I have mine with the goblins. Gotta trim down the heard before it attacks the town again."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sensing the growing tension in the air, Ashley clapped Cassius on the shoulder, wincing slightly as she did. “You’re a glutton for punishment. How many were there?”

Cassius scratched his head, considering. “Oh, I lost count after the sixth one. Maybe eight? But they kept coming out of the woods like rats. Not the most organized fighters, but they’re persistent.”

Ashley shook her head, amused. “I swear, you’re impossible. But I’ll give you this—you’ve got guts.”

Cassius replied with a grin. “All in a day’s work!”

Ethan leaned forward, still watching Cassius closely. “You sure you’re alright? You look like you took a beating.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle. A little rest, a good meal, and I’ll be back on my feet in no time. Don’t worry about me.”

“Do we have an entire day to spare though?” Ashley inquired.

“Not an entire day, no. While other parties hunt this afternoon, we will strike at night. There's a good reason for this which I'll explain in a bit,” Ethan states.

Lorenz, who had been quiet until now, set down the piece of armor he was inspecting. “If you need any proper healing, Cassius, I still have already bought our share of potions supply before the pricrs hike up in the market, these things are in demand right now. You should take one before things get worse.”

Cassius waved him off, sighing, he bashfully gives the real reason why he didn't want to recover fast, “No need for potions. I need to go grow the process of feeling pain in order to understand it. I'm trying to develop a healing script.”

Ethan studied him for a moment, he recalls the requirements for fully utilizing quillmancy. The caster needs to fully understand it first before the spell can take any effect. Knowing the script without understanding doesn't work either. He then nodded, “Alright. Just take it easy. We need you in one piece for our next move.”

With the full team gathered, the group turned to the matter at hand. As the last of the morning sunlight filtered through the windows, Ethan spread out a map across the table. “Alright, everyone,” he said, his voice steady and filled with purpose. “Let’s talk about our next steps.”

Lorenz leaned forward, his fingers tracing the edge of the map. “Boss, this map is rather new. There weren't any in the market, so how?...”

“Oh that's easy, I just made my summon fly over the place and I looked through its eyes. Then drew a map."

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Well, it costs a bit of time and requires me to concentrate, I'm not exactly a cartographer you know. It took some time just to get the distances right.”

Hearing this conversation and seeing the individual tasks each member did during the preparation phase, Ashley can't help but feel unease. 'Everyone is contributing to the team in their own way' the thought of not being able to help crept on her but she quickly dismisses thought, letting it simmer in the back burner of her mind for now.

“Ashley? What ails you?” Ethan notices the sudden change in her facial expression hence the inquiry.

“N-Nothing. Everything's fine.”

“Right... Anyhow, here's the plan...” Ethan decided not to prod any further and discusses the plan. He starts of by reviewing the details of the third challenge.

[ Third Challenge: Impede the Monster Invasion ]

Description: The recent goblin attack was not a coincidence. Sinister plot is afoot. Scout the nearby forest for monsters and subjugate them before they pose a major threat to the town's peace.

Duration: 7 days

Challenge Requirement: A party of (5+) adventurers.

“I was wondering boss, where do we find a fifth member?”

Cassius chimes in, “Ideally someone we could trust. The last thing we want is someone stabbing us in the back.”

“I've read enough manwhas to know that some party will seek to gain advantage of the situation. Human avarice knows no bound,” Ashely retorts.

“I admire the rhetorics Ashley and you make a valid point. I think there's am easy fix for that,” he waves the Blackmarket Relations card.

“We're hiring slaves? Professor I never took you as one of those people..." Ashley interjects, disappointment in her eyes.

“We're not hiring him or her as a slave, we're still hiring an adventurer.”

“You're going to take advantage of the slave collar?” Cassius ask, his tone serious.

“Come on now, I'm not depraved. I was planning on releasing the slave before we can make an oath with said person. Like the one me and Miss Trust had.”

“That's brilliant boss! Let's go with that! Ideally, we should hire a wielder, there are no wielders in our team yet.”

“Lorenz, thank you for not doubting my intentions. Here's a thousand gold!” Ethan playfully gave him a bag of gold much to everyone else's envy.

And so, the group continued to discuss the rest of the plan and headed out to the Blackmarket Relations to free a slave.