A few days have passed since the group departed for the land of Odale…

***

The guild hub in Flavrence was active as ever, perhaps even more so with the absence of Geld no longer hogging the quests from the quest boards. The party Geld threw in the guild hub still left an infectious vivacious effect. The remaining adventurers and guild folks who took part in the Geld incident would pass onto other arrivals with their merry vibe.

At a bar counter, an adventurer wearing a heavy cloak concealing most of his figure drinks in solitary, ignoring the cheerful laughs that roared behind him. After taking a sip from his drink, he lets out a pensive sigh. He nudges his head at the sound of a visitor taking a seat next to him. The person is none other than one of the guild folks who directly confronted Tatsuo during the blue quests incident.

“One Springfield Ela’ Granza!” The person next to him says in a cheerful manner. He turns to face the adventurer sitting next to him. “Oh! Aren’t you…Tony?!” The man exclaims to the brooding adventurer. “I knew it…! It is you Tony!” He exclaims in delight upon inspecting the adventurer’s face more clearly.

Tony’s eyes widen, spooked by his familial acquaintance.

Tony: …You’re still here, Jarvan…?

Jarvan: Yeah. Me and my guildmates here have decided to stay a bit longer here.

Tony continued to sip away at his drink.

Jarvan: But where have you been…? We haven’t seen you for a while, we had thought you left already…We didn’t even see you at the end of the competition!

Jarvan: We were even getting worried, you know? You missed out on a fun party! Those brats compensated us an entire day’s worth of food and drinks for everyone here, it was fantastic!

Tony's arms shivered. Both his hands tightly gripped his drink. His body petrified at the mention of Tatsuo and his group. He replies back to Jarvan in his soft, raspy tone.

Tony: I…Was in my room…

Jarvan: Whaaat? The entire time…?!

Afraid of the direction the conversation was leading to, Tony stayed quiet for a while. He resigns himself to the situation and utters a response back to Jarvan.

Tony: Yeah…

Jarvan felt slightly appalled by the response. Betrayed even.

Jarvan: How could you do that to us…? Weren’t you part of the foraging group…?

Jarvan: Well, I won’t scowl at you now since what’s done is done already…But you could’ve at least told us something beforehand…You could’ve been the difference in beating those guys…

Tony hangs his head lower to his mug.

Tony: We…Weren’t going to win anyways…That guy wasn’t normal…” – His voice grew more faint than before.

Jarvan: Huh? The guys from before?

Tony: Yeah…

Jarvan was finding Tony’s bleak attitude problemsome. He places his hand behind his head, scratching it.

Jarvan: Well…At least they've left now. With them gone, there’s more quests up for picking again, which is part of the reason why we’re still staying here.

Jarvan’s eyes suddenly widened from a sudden thought as he internally gasps to himself.

Jarvan: Don’t tell me…You went back because we lost to them…? I mean…I could understand your frustration…It really was unbelievable how they won against all of us…But I’m sure they’ve bribed the guild hub here or something since they were loaded with money. I mean, In the end, they were pretty cool people though!

Tony: No…

Tony: I gave up…

Jarvan: WHAT?!

His sudden shouting made some of the heads behind them turn to him, but they proceeded to go about their business shortly after. Jarvan found Tony’s confession to be blasphemous.

Tony: After witnessing what I saw…It made me think about my life…So I stayed in my room thinking…

Jarvan had his head resting on his palm, his body leaning in towards the counter. He simply stared at Tony in a dazed confoundedness.

Jarvan: What the hell are you saying…?

Tony began to ramble off into a monologue.

“Us adventurers and guild people…We always hear stories about those at the top…The feats of legendary individuals…Like Gharm the mountain splitter, Zachfried who could use six swords, or Newman Knowles…”

“During the competition…”

“Back at the forest…”

“I saw it…”

“I was watching him…The black haired boy who challenged us…”

“I was hiding behind some bushes behind some trees…There was a sudden flash of light, it nearly left me blinded. And then after that…”

“I barely managed to catch it. All I remember was a blue light flashing past me, and it roared…! It was almost instantaneous…! He was moving so fast…! I–I couldn’t comprehend it…! I was lucky enough that I didn’t blink…!”

“That’s when I knew…He was one of those people…It’s one thing when you hear it from stories…But it’s another to see it yourself…! From that moment, I knew we were going to lose…That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I found out we lost…!”

“They didn’t cheated, nor bribed anyone. If what I saw wasn’t just a hallucination, then it made sense how fast they cleared all those quests…!”

“Ever since then, I realized…That no matter how hard we try…People like you and me…We could never compare…”

“Monsters like them…They exist…!”

Unfazed by Tony’s drivel, he simply stares at his friend with dead fish eyes.

Jarvan: Man…How many drinks are you at…?

Jarvan: Not to be rude to you or anything, but that’s what got you shook…?

Jarvan makes an attempt to rationalize Tony’s thoughts.

Jarvan: You probably just got caught up in the intensity of the competition and saw things. I mean, you even admitted that it all happened so fast, right?

Tony briefly takes a moment to consider Jarvan’s implications.

Tony: Yeah…You’re probably right…! Maybe I was just seeing things…

Jarvan: Right, see? No need to be overdramatic! And let’s say that what you saw really did happen, don’t let it stop you from moving forward on what you want to do…!

Jarvan: Maybe I’m not one to say since I still haven’t gotten the chance to see one of the bigshots in action myself, but some blue and red guilds are still seen as famous, the same as some silver and gold adventurers too!

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Jarvan’s words of encouragement manage to uplift Tony’s spirit. He sincerely thanks Jarvan.

Tony: Yeah…Thanks a lot…Jarvan.

His voice now sounded healthier in his response.

Tony: It all happened so fast…It almost seemed as if I witnessed a lightning bolt. But that wouldn’t make sense since the sky was clear that day, and it was sunny.

Jarvan: Right! Right! That’s impossible! It was probably just you…

Jarvan furrows his brow to himself, taking a second to digest what Tony just said. He never acknowledged it beforehand since he thought it was all in his head as Tony had said – It never made sense…But Jarvan could’ve sworn that he also heard lightning on that day as well…

***

*At the Guild Association’s main headquarters.

Lucius hums to himself while he goes through the archive of books in one of his shelves inside his lavishly looking office. Rows of shelves leaned against the walls of his office, with each of them jam packed with books. The room looked more like a library than it did an office. Sitting on the other side of the doorway was Lucius’s work desk, which had naught a clutter on it. Behind it was a large window where one could overlook the outside scenery with velvet drapes wrinkled at the sides.

Lucius hears a knock at the door.

Lucius: Come on in.

The door opens up with a man wearing a similar outfit to Lucius with a sienna brown colored victorian styled dress coat over a vested tuxedo. The visitor greets Lucius in a spry tone.

Visitor: Hello~

Lucius: Oh. Edmund. What fancies you being here?

Edmund: I thought I’d drop by for a visit. I heard you came back.

Lucius: Yes…But I’ll be off to Cecily to run some errands there shortly after today.

Edmund: I heard. That’s why I’m here to visit you now. Man…Aren’t you just a busy work.

Lucius: ….

Lucius: I believe that goes for all of us here…

Edmund makes himself comfortable on Lucius’s velvet colored sofa.

Edmund: Well, you’re a cut above the rest of us. Compared to Keith, that guy is a mess…! I guess you’re the chancellor for a reason, huh?

He eyes out Lucius’s clean and pristine desk and slings his head back with his nape pressing against the contour of the sofa.

Edmund: How was your business in Irene?

Lucius: It was good. – Lucius responded while flipping through the pages of the book he was holding.

An expected response, Edmund thought. A curt, yet, apt answer. Though, despite his modest politeness, Lucius was not one to be dishonest.

Edmund: By the way, I’ve heard some crazy stuff has been happening in Irene. The entire wildlife in the Emerald Forest suddenly vanished.

Lucius blinks at Edmund: The Emerald Forest…? The forest near Pillberry?

Edmund: Yeah…Apparently the ARS Army has been investigating the issue…I figured you would’ve known about it since you were there.

Lucius: Hmm. I didn’t manage to catch wind of the news…However, I did meet some interesting young individuals during my trip.

Edmund: Ah. Was it the guys you personally went out of your way to promote to blue rank as soon as you came back? I’ve heard about it.

Lucius closes his book: Yes. They’ve successfully managed to clear an entire quest board within a day.

Edmund: Hmm…? But that’s in Irene.

Lucius: Even so, it’s still an impressive achievement. It’s not everyday a guild can do just that. Most would struggle to simply coordinate between completing the quests and turning it in on time. It’s only natural to scale their ranking to properly match according to their performance, no?

Lucius: Furthermore, last time I took a glimpse at their log record to update it, their recent documentations have been nothing but clearing full boards worth of quests on a daily basis from what I could see. That alone should be enough to warrant an upgrade to red instead.

Edmund: Wow. So you hold them that high in your regards…I guess even you have your biases as well…

Lucius: I suppose it could be that. That’s why I never went any further than to rank them up to blue.

“But they show promise for sure. I look forward to following their progress.”

Lucius said his line with an anticipated smile, but Edmund on the other hand still wasn’t sold on them.

Edmund: Yeesh…You’re making it sound like it’s the second coming of Chroma. Well! Not like I’m one to say that too. There’s also been a couple of newcomers that have caught my interest.

Lucius: Oh? Like who?

Edmund: There’s one I’ve been keeping my eyes out on called Savage Punk.

Lucius’s face lights up in recognition of the guild’s name.

Lucius: Oh, I’ve heard of them too. Their track record is really impressive as well. They’ve already established a town as their base is what I heard –

Edmund: And they’ve also won against Gryphon Gale from that same incident. Can you believe it? A guild made up of a group of nobodies that was made just a little more than a month ago actually defeated a guild ranked 17 in overall placements…!! It caused a stir in the news and the guild outlet, which even got us, the guild association directly involved! Luckily, we were able to settle the dispute…But it gets even crazier…!

Edmund crosses his legs.

Edmund: Did you hear? The members of Gryphon Gale disbanded their guild and joined Savage Punk!! I haven’t been able to confirm it myself, but I heard that’s how everything got resolved…! There’s been intense arguments whether Savage Punk should take the 17th place, which was Gryphon’s…!

Lucius: I…Was briefly informed about the events, yes. Thanks for filling in the details with me.

Lucius walks across the velvet colored floored carpet of his office to his window to look out at the scenic view. A dim reflection of himself takes shape as he walks closer to the panel. He places his hand against the clear glass.

Lucius: It seems the waves of this new generation have a lot of potential. I can’t wait for this year’s Guild War.

Edmund: Heh. Me and Keith are already placing bets. Do you already have in mind who you think will be this year’s champion?

Lucius: Well, I reckon most would think it’s between 1 or 2… But who knows…? Perhaps a rising star like the ones we mentioned may end up overtaking the seat from them instead…

Edmund: Bah. What a boring answer…You should’ve just said, you haven’t decided yet…

Edmund kicks up his leg, crossing them again and folds his arms to the back of his head.

Edmund: Keith thinks Chroma is going to take it again this year…So do a lot of others. But I’m gonna go out on a limb here and pick Seventeen Pillars…

Lucius: Oh? You’re betting on number 2? I would’ve thought you’d be one to bet on Chroma instead.

Edmund: Heh! I’m not one to join the bandwagon like Keith! It’s a hot topic for folks to debate between which of the two guilds belongs at the number one spot. Some say that Seventeen Pillar should be in first place instead of Chroma. Plus, lately there’s been a trend for mages switching from support to offensive oriented skill sets.

Lucius: So I’ve heard…I find it peculiar since the main roles of mages are support.

Edmund: That’s the thing. The compelling argument folks are spreading is that the mages will provide support by merely defeating the opposition. Aka. Death is the greatest support, is how they’re phrasing it. Because of this, Seventeen Pillars are enlisting more of these mages into their guild is what I heard, so this time, they may end up getting the one up on Chroma.

Edmund: Personally though, I feel like this trend became a thing because of mages like O’farian, Grendel, Maki, Morgana… And mainly Kaiza. How ironic it is that it’s their rival that fans the spark of the mage community.

Lucius: So they’re disregarding a balanced formation for a glass cannon approach?

Edmund flippantly shrugs with his arms raised in the air.

Edmund: Seems pretty selfish if you ask me. It’s just a way for mages to garner more fame for themselves as support roles often get overlooked.

Lucius: That didn’t use to be the case back then…

Lucius: ….

Lucius: For a man who’s placing bets on them…Your responses seem rather contemptuous.

Being caught out from his facade, Edmund’s resolve shooketh from being exposed.

Edmund: Well…See…

Edmund: Actually…

Edmund mopes with his head lowered down to his knees.

Edmund: It’s because Keith had already chosen Chroma, so in light of the competition, I went with them (Seventeen Pillars)....

Lucius (thinking): Oh…I see…That’s how it was, huh…

Lucius gently places a cup of tea on the table in front of Edmund.

Lucius: Then, in light of the competitive spirit, allow me to cast my current thoughts on who I think may end up taking this year’s spotlight.

Edmund: Oh? So you actually had a guild in mind? That’s great! You could be the tipping point between me and Keith!

Just for anyone, it was always great to hear Lucius’s opinions, it was one of the reasons why Edmund enjoyed his chats with him. He always seemed to hold insight that most others couldn’t perceive.

Lucius places his teacup on his side of the table as he settles himself down on the sofa sitting across from Edmund.

Lucius: I could do that, but I feel it wouldn’t be as interesting if I was to simply go through the prevailing choices. What I have in mind is…a rather unconventional pick.

Lucius begins to stir his tea.

Lucius: There’s a guild that has caught my attention that was made relatively recent. I like to think of them as…A hidden gem…

Edmund: ….

Edmund: It’s not the guild that you were talking about earlier, right…?

Lucius: No…Their group is too recent, and they’re still too inexperienced as of the moment. While their potential is yet to be fully uncovered, upstarts like them tend to find themselves to be challenged against a wall quickly. What and when that may be remains a mystery.

He taps the ridge of his teacup with the stir stick, causing small ripples that contort his face reflected on the tea’s skin.

“The guild who I think will win this Guild War is…”