Back at the Tavern…

The suave looking adventurer slowly opened his eyes.

'That ugly bastard…I'll make him pay.'

He checked his body for injuries and was surprised when he found out that he didn't receive as much damage as he initially thought he would have.

'Looks like that b*tch held back a bit.' He sighed.

He stood up using his body's inner strength and wiped the dust off his clothes with his hands. His chest was still in pain, but it doesn't hinder him from moving.

'I better tell the boss about this incident. No one messes with the Harkon Brigade and gets away with it.' He moved towards the exit.

The adventurers in the tavern glanced at him with interest. The Harkon Brigade is notorious in this part of the Kingdom for being one of the top adventurer guilds. They didn't have a bad reputation. In fact, they were a famous guild that helped others in need.

They were known for being a tight-knit group of people, and anyone who harmed one of their members in any way, became the enemy of their entire guild. The adventurers had amused expressions. Clearly, they were itching to watch a play unfold.

The suave adventurer walked out of the tavern and headed toward their guild's headquarters. The city of Amaranth has three major guilds. The Exodus Knights, Harkon Brigade, and the Terra Riders.

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In the Guildmaster's quarters of the Harkon Brigade, a middle-aged man was reading the reports that were submitted to him by his special agents. Their guild had a special team dedicated in getting the latest news from all over the kingdom of Edelweiss.

His name was Jack Megan, the guildmaster of the Harkon Brigade and one of the most charitable person in Kingdom. There was a smile on his face as he read a particular report about the orphanage that their guild has built in the city of Amaranth.

"The orphans are fed and clothed properly. The caretakers are doing their job properly, this is good." Jack muttered.

He opened another letter and his smile grew wider.

'The headmaster of the Academy has accepted my proposal to give the orphans a 30% discount on their tuition fees. This is good news indeed. I guess I'll have to make a trip to the Academy so I can personally thank him for his generosity.'

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Jack leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes. He still has a lot of things to do and more report to read.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. He opened his eyes and fixed his posture.

"Come in." Jack said.

"Guildmaster, sorry to disturb you." The suave adventurer entered the room.

"Oh, it's just you Nick. Did you perhaps have a hard time in the dungeon?" Jack noticed the disheveled state of one of his core members.

"Guildmaster, someone beat me up in the tavern." Nick replied.

Jack narrowed his eyes, "Tell me everything that happened."

"Sir, this is what happened."

Nick gave an honest narration of what happened in the tavern. Jack frowned while listening to the story.

"So, basically, you got jealous and decided to create trouble?"

"Yes…"

Nick lowered his head in shame while Jack tapped the surface of the table with his finger. He knew that his subordinate was in the wrong, but he is also curious about the identity of the people that beat him up.

Each member of the Harkon Brigade carried an emblem that they pinned on their clothes. It gives them the identification that they belonged to the guild. The emblems could only be acquired by passing a rigorous test that is personally given by the guildmaster.

'The Harkon Brigade was well-known in the city of Amaranth and for them to attack one of my members can only mean one thing... they are not citizens from the Dukedom of Windsor,' Jack concluded.

"You say that the lady is an expert warrior?" Jack asked.

"Yes sir. I'm sure that her fighting ability is on the A-Class. If we can invite her to the guild, then it will be a big boost to our fighting force." Nick replied.

Jack kept on tapping the surface of the table. He was weighing the pros and cons of acquiring new A-Class warriors for their guild. Having A-Class fighters is a great addition to any force in the Kingdom.

"You know you were in the wrong yes?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir."

"But, you still want to get revenge right?"

"Yes, sir."

Jack sighed. He knew that this may not end well, but his guild couldn't suffer any grievances or the other two guilds would look down on them.

"Try to settle this peacefully. If the other party apologizes, just ask for a small compensation. If he refuses, then you can beat him up. But, make sure that you don't kill, maim, or give any severe injury to him. After all, you didn't receive a heavy injury. Understood?" Jack said.

"Yes sir."

"Arnold, accompany him and make sure that my orders are followed properly." Jack glanced at the wall on his left.

"As you command, guildmaster," A man wearing purple clothing slowly emerged from the wall, "Can I take the 3rd battalion with me?" he added.

"The 3rd battalion has been idle as of late. You can do whatever you want with them. Also, try to invite the lady to join our guild." Jack said.

"If she refuses?"

"Then, let her be. The Harkon Brigade doesn't force anyone to join our ranks."

"As you command, guildmaster" Arnold replied.

Arnold and Nick left the room in a hurry. They needed to make sure that their targets would not be able to escape their pursuit.

Jack stood up and glanced at the city outside the window. He wished that the peace of the Kingdom would last forever, but he knew that it was impossible. The king was getting old and one of the princes must be crowned before he retired.

The ascension of a king had always been filled with struggle. He hope that the fight for the throne would not drag their guild into the middle of the storm. He didn't want to sacrifice his men, just to please one of the princes of the kingdom.

"I hope nothing goes wrong." Jack muttered.