I shook Darius's hand, still feeling a little bit in shock from the sudden turn of events. "Well, it’s nice to meet you too Boss," I replied trying to sound more confident.

Darius led me through the entrance and into a lobby that looked, surprisingly normal—a few chairs for waiting guests to the side, and a wooden counter at the center back of the room. There was a man who looked to be in his twenties like me, with dark wavy hair behind the counter reading the same newspaper I was reading earlier.

He looked up as we approached, and nodded at Darius. "Hey, Boss," he said.

Darius nodded back and led me to the door at the back of the room. We entered, revealing an open space with a table in the middle of the room that looked to be for meetings. I expected people actually working and having a meeting it looked like nobody else was around, how slack.

Darius noticed my expression and said, "This is where we have our briefings when we get jobs. It's usually pretty quiet around here since we’re usually out on business dealing with jobs."

I nodded, still trying to process everything that was happening. Suddenly, my mind snapped back to the urgency of the situation. "Wait, why were we in such a hurry? Who found us out and what's going on?" I asked, hoping to get some answers.

Darius looked at me seriously, "I'll let you know more later on. For now, I need you to stay put here with Jean at the front counter. It's for your own safety."

I was taken aback, "My safety? What's going on?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease.

Darius sighed, "Look, I don't have time to explain everything right now. Just trust me and stay put. I need to go quickly and sort out that something you’re worried about." He walked back through the door into the lobby and I followed.

I wanted to protest and ask more questions, but Darius was already heading towards the entrance. "I'll be back real soon. Jean will take care of you," he said before disappearing out into the street as fast as we had arrived.

I turned to Jean, the man behind the counter, and asked him, "What's going on? Why do I need to stay here?"

Jean looked at me sympathetically as he flipped a news page, "I'm not really sure, kid. But if Boss says you need to stay put, you should probably listen to him. He knows what he's doing."

I nodded, still feeling confused and worried. As I tried to calm myself down, I couldn't help but notice the sparse but intriguing decor of the main room. In addition to the weapons mounted on the wall, there was a plaque that read "Hunter of the Month" with a picture of Lucas.

"Who's Lucas?" I called out to Jean. Obviously, I knew who he was, but I needed to hear it from someone else.

Jean replied from back in the lobby, "Oh, he's one of our top hunters. He's been with us for a few years and has taken down some pretty dangerous targets. He's really good at his job."

Well as long as I’m here, I have no doubt that Lucas won’t be holding that spot in that frame for very long. I tended to take the top spot in my studies and this new position was no exception, although bounty hunter work will take more effort than I’m used to. I’ll have to really push myself but that’s no problem.

“Speak of the devil,” Jean muttered loud enough for me to still hear from the other room.

Who? Lucas? He’s not even here though? Seconds later I heard the door creek open.

“Look who decided to show up to work today,” Jean jeered sarcastically.

“Oh whatever Jean, it’s not like you’re doing anything important sitting on your ass,” Lucas remarked back.

“Come on you two, it’s not even lunchtime yet,” That sounded like Fleur. I knew she was having a coffee with Lucas but what was she doing here? Shouldn’t she be at the markets working with her family or something?

Jean continued back at Lucas, “Well in fact I do have an important job, straight from the Boss himself. I’m looking after the new face while he’s out.”

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I heard Fleur gasp, "What the fuck, he's already here? Darius told me he wasn't supposed to be here till at least next week!"

"Wait, not that Eli kid, right?" Lucas asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes, that Eli kid!" Fleur confirmed, her voice rising in frustration.

Lucas raised his voice back, "Darius didn't tell me about this? Why'd he tell you and not me?"

The door then flew open and I saw Fleur bust into the main room seeing me seated at the meeting table. "Why hello, late for work are we?" I said, trying to lighten the mood with a smile and a wave. I guess Fleur was lying the other day about her real job. I’m not surprised she’d want to hide something like this.

Fleur scowled at me, "Don't even get me started. Darius didn't tell me you were starting today. I thought you were still doing that job he was getting you to do?"

I shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable under her glare. "I guess he wanted to surprise you? Whatever that job was, he told me to forget it for now. What happened to your market job with your family huh?"

“Well, obviously I wasn’t gonna tell you the truth.”

“I figured that much.” Lucas walked in and I waved back at him too. “Looks like Mr employee of the month decided to show up too,” I said.

He didn't seem to find my comment amusing. "Cut the crap,” he said. Lucas turned back to Fleur, “Why didn't Darius tell me he was joining? All he got me to do was interrogate the bastard!"

Fleur huffed and crossed her arms, "Hell if I know! Who knows what goes on in that head of his? Anywho, what’s Darius got you doing here anyway? Where is he?"

I shifted in my seat, feeling a little tense. "I'm not sure. He just brought me in here and left suddenly."

“Which is why I was told to watch him,” Jean commented.

Fleur let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "This is just typical, always keeping things from us. We're supposed to be a team here."

Lucas nodded, "Yeah, I don't like being kept out of the loop either."

I felt a little guilty for unintentionally causing this tension between them. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Maybe Darius just forgot to tell you guys."

“No no it’s not your fault, it’s all on the Boss,” Fleur rolled her eyes, "Or maybe he's just playing us both. I swear that man is impossible to read sometimes."

“Well since I’m here, mind if you tell me what I’ll actually be doing? I mean, I’m working here now aren’t I?” I say to Fleur to break the tension as I kick back in the chair. “Boss told me I’m capable and I’ll be paid well. I’m sure I can handle whatever it is.”

“At the very least, I may as well tell you a thing or two,” Fleur raised an eyebrow at me, "And you think you can handle whatever it is, huh? Well, let me give you a little rundown of what we do here." She gestured towards the door.

"That Bounty Hunter plaque isn’t just for show," Fleur continued, "We do take on bounty work, but that's just surface level. We're Huntsmen, the kind that goes after the really dangerous bounties, the kind that nobody else can handle. We’re the ones tasked with protecting Leode and straightening out those who misuse their magical abilities."

“You guys deal with magic?” I utter.

“Of course, you think those enforcers have the manpower to take down anyone even above the second tier? Someone’s gotta do it.” Fleur replies.

Jean spoke up from back in the lobby, "And we're damn good at it too."

Lucas chimed in, "Yeah, we don't mess around when it comes to these kinds of jobs. It's not just a matter of capturing the target, it's a matter of survival."

I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by their words, but I tried not to show it. "Sounds like a tough job. But I'm up for the challenge," I said, trying to sound confident. Had I bitten off more than I could chew? I’ll just have to hit the books even harder then.

Lucas chuckled, "You have no idea, kid. Some of these bounties are straight out of a nightmare."

Fleur shot Lucas a warning look, "Don't be like that Lucas. If Darius has said Eli can handle it, he can definitely handle it."

“Does Caius know about this? You’ve been lying to him this whole time haven’t you?” I say to Fleur.

Fleur's expression immediately turned serious. "No, and he shouldn't know. I’m sure there are many people who know of us, but I doubt any know who each of us are. And I'd prefer to keep it that way, especially when it comes to Caius. He's a good person who shouldn't get involved in this kind of business."

Just then, the door to the building opened and in walked Darius. Jean immediately stood up and greeted him, "Welcome back, boss."

Fleur and Lucas immediately perked up, "What’s the situation?" they asked in unison.

Darius waved a dismissive hand, "Nothing too serious. Just went to have a discussion with someone. Nothing you need to worry about anymore."

Fleur and Lucas looked at each other but didn't question Darius any further. Instead, Fleur turned to him and said, "I told Elias about the position briefly to save you some of the trouble. I hope that’s alright."

Darius smiled, "That's perfect, Fleur. In fact, I was going to tell him about the job anyway.” He turned to me as I was still sitting at the table. “Let's get you briefed shall we? Come with me to my office.”