[Warning! Warning! Warning! Threat to the user’s life detected. Chance of survival: 0%]

[Calculating. Solution found. Initiating the last tutorial gift – Survival. Usage: 1. Charges remain: 2. Turtle System will enter hibernating mode and change the user’s properties until the threat disappears from the vicinity]

What? Toby heard the System’s voice while he was dashing toward Lukas with Elaria.

He couldn’t comprehend what was happening before he slumped down all of a sudden. His limbs went weak as he felt like a part of him was suddenly gone. No, it wasn’t gone. Its presence became so faint that he couldn’t perceive it unless he focused with all his might.

“Do not trust that man, no matter what,” Elaria said as she slowed her pace and fixed her expression to that of a welcoming Guild Master.

Toby pushed past that empty feeling inside of him and nodded. He cast his gaze toward the training ground.

There, a knight in his prime who was at least six and a half feet tall with blazing purple-orange hair stood between Lukas and Voss. The knight easily stopped Voss’s attack with his two fingers while using the other hand to stop Lukas from falling.

His shiny plate armor looked spotlessly white as if it would never be tarnished by the mundane world. His big, red cape with golden lines along the hems and on the drawing of a temple above the clouds in the middle flew in the air, showing off the giant handle of a bladeless sword he put horizontally on his back waist. The hilt drew everyone's attention as an expensive white ore, polished to perfection, glimmered under the sunlight was placed on the pommel.

“Thank you for stepping in between the hot-blooded youngsters,” Elara said as she approached the knight. “So, what do I owe the pleasure for the champion of Air Celestial Temple to come here himself?”

“Good morning, madam D’vanna.” The knight smiled. It was a smile as innocent as a child. He looked at Lukas, then at Voss, before shifting his gaze back at Elaria.

“I’m here on an official mission. I hope you can help me with it, madam.” He tapped his chest twice.

Elaria stared at the knight for a while before addressing Lukas, “Good job, now rest.”

Lukas smiled weakly before slumping down and passing out.

“It’s rare for you to take in a disciple, madam.”

“You already know why. Don’t beat around the bush and get straight to the point. I don’t have all day to play that political game of yours.”

“And you.” Elaria turned her head toward Voss. “You dishonor the duel by attacking your opponent after the result has been announced. From now on, you are no longer an Adventurer.”

“What?” Voss shouted. “You can’t do that to me.”

“I agree with this boy here. That’s a bit harsh of a punishment, don’t you agree, madam?” The knight maintained his smile as he stood between Elaria and Voss.

Elaria stared at the knight as if she wanted nothing more than to rip out his heart to see what he was hiding.

“Adventurers work in parties. And no one is willing to put their lives in the hands of someone who could backstab them the moment they turn around. Letting someone like that work as an Adventurer will not only tarnish our honor but also put the lives of his party’s members in danger. The duel’s rule has existed since the founding days of the guild and has long been honored by generations for a reason. The punishment is non-negotiable.” The Guild Master declared firmly.

“Jerek Voss.” She said. “As the Guild Master of Eldium’s Adventurer Guild, I declare you are no longer an Adventurer in Eldium. If you wish to become an Adventurer again, go register at a different city.”

“THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT.” Voss threw his sword on the ground, then pointed at Elaria. “You just want to stomp on me because you know I’ll become the strongest Hero and because I kicked your little mutt. You want to hinder my growth. That’s why you are doing this.”

“Think what you want to.” Elaria stood still with her indifferent gaze.

“May we should take this discussion somewhere more private, madam. My job involves these two after all. You could make your decision after you hear things out from my side, don’t you agree?” The knight looked at Lukas and Voss.

After staring at the knight, Elaria’s expression betrayed nothing as she turned around. “Come to my office.”

“Wait, I’m coming too,” Toby interjected hurriedly.

The knight looked at Toby with eyes that sent chills down his spine. It wasn’t like the knight’s eyes held any malice or bad intention in them. But for some reason, Toby’s instinct was screaming at him to not let his man notice him.

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Toby swallowed a mouthful of saliva. So this is what a Hero is actually like. Dammit. Is this the guy the System was warning me about? Most likely since the warning came as soon as this guy appeared. Shit. I might die here.

After staring at Toby, the knight asked with a friendly smile, “My name is Dorian Draven, knight of the Air Celestial Temple. May I know who you are?”

“…Hello,” Toby felt even smaller as he gazed up at the tower in front of him. “I’m Toby. I’m Lukas’s guardian.” He said as he pointed at Lukas.

“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t know this boy’s guardian was with him. Please, can you carry him to madam D’vanna’s office for me?” Dorian said as he let go of Lukas and let the boy fall onto Toby.

Shit. This fucker. Toby cursed as he gathered Mana around him and turned them into a soft pillow to cushion Lukas’s fall.

But before Lukas could fall onto Toby, Elaria reached out and held the boy.

“What are you doing?” She glared at Dorian.

“Oh, my apologies. Since sir Toby said he was a Hero’s guardian, I was expecting him to show me something extraordinary. It seems that I wasn’t disappointed.” He smiled at Toby, the kind of smile that could choke someone to death.

“Shall we continue our discussion in your office?”

-----

Inside Elaria’s office, shadows danced on the wall as if they were welcoming a sinister being as Elaria and Dorian sat across from each other.

“What do you want from us?” Elaria asked coldly.

Dorian smiled and calmly said. “I know you don’t like small talk, so I’ll make it short.” He leaned back on his chair. “Give me the two Heroes.”

Elaria cracked her neck. “They are people with their own will. They are not tools for me to give you. Hero.”

“I might have misspoken, my apologies.” Dorian bowed a little. “What I mean to say is that please allow me to bring the boys back to the Holy Empire and train them as Heroes. Having two Heroes coming from the same region is a never-before-seen sign from the stars. It must mean that we are close to the inevitable war.”

“You don’t even believe in the stars.” Elaria squinted her eyes.

“I am a knight of the Air Celestial Temple. And the will of the Prophet who represents the stars is our will.”

Elaria took a sip from her steaming hot cup. “They aren’t ready for your training yet.”

“They might not be now, but they will be once they arrive at the Holy Empire.”

“It’s not about strength.” Elaria shook her head. “It’s about their mentality. One of them is too timid and lacks conviction, while the other is too arrogant for his own good.”

Dorian pinched his chin as he nodded. “Then I see no problem.”

“What?” Elara stared at Dorian. But he just smiled.

Elaria closed her eyes as memories flashed in her mind. She was back at the orphanage with her four best friends. It was the most peaceful time in her life. Before one of them was announced by the Temples as a chosen Hero. It was only long after, when the remaining four worked as Adventurers did they knew it was all lies.

There were no heroes who had Hero Path in her youth. Not even one.

The people who were referred to as heroes at the time were extraordinary individuals with strength or intelligence that far exceeded the mass. Those heroes contribute greatly to the safety and development of the world and, thus, are recognized as heroes.

It wasn’t something that the Temples simply announced. But they found out too late. Their friend was gone.

Many years later, the Temples also announced that he was killed in a battle against an evil warlord's army. For his bravery, his name would be remembered for generations to come. That, too, was a lie.

Elaria opened her eyes and stared at Dorian.

Her plan was coming together, but she needed time. She could offer the boys to this snake, but that would mean doing the same thing to her friends all over again. That wasn’t something she could tolerate.

But if they wanted to forcefully take the boys, she was powerless to stop them. She might be strong, but their collective might was stronger.

She could kill Dorian right then and there. But what would that achieve? The plan she put together for decades would crumble. The sacrifices her friends made would go to waste. That too, wasn’t something she could tolerate.

She needed time. She needed an excuse.

“I need proof.” She said.

“Proof?” Dorian asked.

“Proof that the boys were ready for their training as Heroes. If not, I’ll not allow children to risk their lives for nothing. I know how brutal but effective your so-called ‘training’ is.” She declared.

“Oho,” Dorian smiled like he was amused by her little ploy. “And how should we do that?”

“There is one major problem that Eldium has been suffering from for a long time now. If they can solve that problem, I’ll acknowledge them. If they can’t do it, they will have to remain here until I’m satisfied with their growth.”

Dorian smirked. He knew she didn’t have the authority to do that.

“An interesting proposal, D’vanna. Let the new Heroes solve a problem that has plagued the city for years. What better of a beginning can a Hero hope for?” Dorian laughed. “Very well, I will play along. What shall our roles be?”

“Mentors.” Elare crossed her arms. “We will split them into two parties. I’ll guide one, and you’ll guide the other. If the two teams can work together to deal with the problem, then I’ll acknowledge them.”

“Very well,” Dorian stood up. “If you excuse me, I have to teach children how to slaughter vampires.”

“Sneaky as always,” Elaria commented.

“It’s called well prepared. Something you should have learned. Storm Breaker.” He sneered.

Before Dorian came out of the office, he had already donned his calm smile again. It was the thing she hated most about this snake. He pretended to be gentle, kind, and courageous. But she knew the truth. He was the kind of monster that enjoyed watching people he was supposed to protect die while he stood back and laughed. Only to swoop in and save the day at the very last moment and enjoy the tears of gratitude from his victims.

A disgusting hypocrite to the core.

Elara closed her eyes and recalled her friends’ last moments. She made a promise back then. A promise she intended to keep at all costs.

She sighed as she thought about the only friend he had left. She heard that foolish woman, who was still mourning for her husband even now, had taken in a disciple and was treating a girl who couldn’t walk.

Elaria thought about her children, her grandchildren, and how they would be implicated by her actions. She thought about the clueless wolfie who looked at her like she was the world’s savior. She thought about the obvious tiny turtle who was about to be dragged into all of this. She thought about the Adventurer Guild’s members and the Adventurers themselves, people who had trusted her with their lives.

The more she thought about them, the more she squinted her eyes and her hands trembled.

“Fuck.” She slammed on the table, knocking the tea in her cup all over her documents.

“I need some air,” Elaria said as she stood up and came down the stairs.

Yet, before she could even come down, she already heard something that would, without a doubt, give her a big headache. Another troublemaker.

“Go find someone else to trick into your bed, pervert.”