Engulfing silence seized the room in its grasp. Time felt as though it momentarily stopped.

Samael's brows rose to an arch, his eyes jolted wide.

Icarius cleared his throat, shattering the unnerving veil of silence encasing his office.

"As I was saying, you'll be his instructor," Icarius repeated. His words fell like a bomb, stripping everyone from their stupors.

Lize's mouth fell open, confusion dancing behind her pupils. Her gaze darted between Ajax and Icarius.

"Gu-Guild master, may I ask why you're doing this?" Her tone hesitant and unsure.

"Hmm? I just felt like it?" Icarius answered, his brows raised high.

Lize sighed under her breath. If it was the guild master's words, then there's no point in understanding them anymore. He's her boss, after all.

"I see" A monotonous voice replied. Ajax didn't even flinch at the revelation of Icarius, as if this were a normal occurrence.

"I'll be taking my leave now." He stood up and walked himself out, but before stepping out of the room, he left a few words. "Meet me at the front of the guild if you've decided to accept the old man's offer."

Samael nodded, and Ajax finally left. Icarius cleared his throat and spoke once more. "Before you go venturing out again, I need you to finish some things first, young man."

Before leaving, the Guild master asked Samael to fill out some information sheet. It asked a few things about his background, and his affinity. Fortunately, it wasn't too strict and he's allowed to leave some questions unanswered.

After completing his information sheet, he was given a medallion. The Guild master stated that the color of your necklace dictates your rank in this guild.

Some missions will require a certain rank or a fixed amount of people before you can freely access them. This is done in order to prevent unnecessary casualties.

Increasing your medallion rank also depends on your performance. The guild follows a merit system wherein your effort does the talking.

When Samael and Lize left, Icarius's smile faded away. An individual clad in black slithered out of the darkness and kneeled before him. "I have the information you've asked for," The cloaked informant said.

"So did you get anything?" Icarius asked.

The cloaked man took out a piece of scroll, handing it to Icarius before vanishing into the shadows. Icarius carefully picked up the scroll left behind and opened it.

His eyes darted back and forth, his brows furrowed. Huh... He closed the scroll and leaned back with a resounding sigh, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"It looks like this year's batch are quite interesting fellows."

***

Lize filled in Samael about things he'll need to understand about the guild. Its history, branches, and standing.

In comparison, the Watchers Guild is probably one of the most famous and influential organizations in almost all of the sanctuary. Even more so than the sanctuary knights. They're like heroes to mundane people. Even the government itself relies on them since they're incredibly good at doing their job.

They eventually reached the main lobby, and Lize had to bid him goodbye. Her mountainous amount of work won't solve itself.

Samael made his way to the front of the guild, where Ajax stood unmoving. His armor still filthy and reek of blood.

"Have you settled everything?" He asked.

Samael gave a brief nod.

"Good. Your lessons start now." Without batting an eye, Ajax strode forward. Samael trailed closely, his gaze observing the town of Erudicio.

The citizens were really carefree. Is it because of the presence of the Watchers Guild?

After some time of walking, they stopped in front of a shop named "Eddie's Smithy" Ajax pushed through, followed by Samael.

Inside the shop were weapons of different varieties. Some hung on the wall while others leisurely nested in glass cabinets.

Ahead was a reception desk— except there's no one there to greet them. It's left empty and desolate, just like the entirety of the shop.

A shop without attendants? Samael wondered.

A loud chiming noise blared in the air, luring Samael's attention towards the reception desk where Ajax stood in front of a silver bell.

Samael frowned, his gaze shifting down. He felt a tremor under his soles, each time more prevalent than before.

Unknowingly, his muscles tensed up, his senses on full alert. His hand gently hovered to his side, ready to summon the Crimson Raven if necessary.

The rumbling loomed closer by the second, almost like an impending tsunami racing its way towards them.

With a loud creek, the door behind the counter flew open, revealing the secrets lurking behind that wooden entrance.

A ginormous hand peeked out of the room, grasping the wooden frame under its titanic grip. Behind the darkness of the room, a burly man peeked out, nearly hitting the ceiling of the smithy.

He stood far taller than Imgar himself, his messy beard swaying under the nudge of the wind. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Who goes there?" His booming voice left a trail of echo, bouncing off the wooden walls of the smithy. Samael could feel the floor creak under his feet.

"Here," Ajax said.

The man glanced down, and Samael could swear his expression brightened even under all that hair.

"It's you! Welcome back, hound! How's the hunt, eh?" The man greeted, leaning back to a wooden pillar.

Ajax stood silent before giving a reply. "All is well."

The burly man fell to a frenzied laughter. His voice shook the smithy, forcing Samael to stop and grab the desk to regain his balance. His brows furrowed.

"What does he mean by 'hound'?" He asked, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.

The burly man shot a glance at him. "Oh, I didn't see you there, young man! My name is Eddie! I own this smithy." He introduced himself. He hurriedly wiped the grease off his hand using his rough leather apron before opting for a handshake.

Samael grasped the hand of the gigantic man and introduced himself as well. "Nice to meet you, uh... My name is Samael," His gaze carving a hole at the inhumane difference in size. His hand appeared akin to that of a toddler!

Eddie approached Ajax and patted his shoulder. "I didn't know you were into training disciples now. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, glancing at Samael "Young man, don't you know the legendary title of your teacher?" He inquired.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Your master was titled the 'hound' because of his unparalleled talent in scouting and tracking," Eddie explained.

Samael's forehead creased the longer he listened. Was Ajax that great to be labeled as such?

"Seems like you didn't actually know, huh?" The burly man massaged his beard, lost deep in his thoughts. "How long have you guys been banding together?" He asked.

"Just today," Samael said.

"WHAT?!" Eddie roared in bewilderment.

Samael winced, his hands tightly clasping his ears.

Realizing what he had done. Eddie held the back of his head and bowed. "I'm sorry, young man, for suddenly screaming like that. But honestly, blame your teacher for that," he said.

He cleared his throat, and the atmosphere took a sharp turn. "Still, are you sure this is the right thing to do? A kid his age venturing into the depths? I'm sure you know how high the fatality rate is for grown adults like us; can you even imagine how high it will be for him? Not to mention, with your peculiar taste in missions..." The man shook his head. "This is practically suicide," He added.

Samael's brow furrowed in exasperation. He felt like Eddie was doubting him. However, he can't bring himself to blame the man for his worry. After all, he's still a kid. Usually , children his age still play sticks and stones by the riverside, enjoying the warmth of childhood.

Ajax didn't waste time to refute the man. He himself knew that it was true. The average fatality rate for trained awakened in the Watchers Guild is estimated at 70%. This is the reason why most of the watchers band together to somehow lower the chances of accidents occurring.

However, sometimes even that doesn't guarantee their safety.

Eddie sighed at the lack of response from the man. He was already used to it. No point bugging him anymore.

"Did you come here for your weapons?" He asked. Ajax replied with a stiff nod.

Eddie crossed his arms together. "You know, you really need to take care of your equipment better. You come here like every damn week just to get repairs. I feel like you're playing with me," he said.

Ajax raised his head. "I—"

"It's fine. I know what kind of fights you pick. I'm just saying that you should take better care next time." Eddie cut him off with a resounding sigh. "Does the young man need anything?" He asked, his gaze fixated at Samael.

Ajax cast a sidelong glance and answered. "Give him light armor."

Eddie approached Samael with heavy steps, kneeling in front of him. His hand moved with great dexterity as he proficiently measured his body size using a tape that no one knows where he pulled from.

In less than a minute, the man was already finished with the measurements. He stood up and said: "I'll be back with your gear; in the mean time, feel free to explore," before going back inside his forge.

Ajax just stayed in place while Samael went off to check the tools of the blacksmith. It didn't take long before the burly man came back out with two boxes. One of which is filled with swords, daggers, a small circular shield, and wrist knives. The other one held the light armor for him.

He checked every item with delicacy, his gaze watching his reflection shone in the silver plate of the armor. Needless to say, it's a perfect fit.

It was a full-body light armor composed of a single steel breastplate that covered the upper half of his torso, which gave him some mobility. It also covers his shoulder and forearm for added layer of protection.

[https://i.ibb.co/QjZPZWv/Screenshot-2023-06-21-21-59-15-459-com-android-chrome-2.jpg]

Samael moved around and did a series of punches. His lips curled to a grin. The armor delivered as intended. He bowed to the burly man and said, "Thank you very much, Sir Eddie. I'll repay you once I earn enough money."

Eddie waved his hand and replied with a wide smile. Oh, don't worry about it! It's a small thing!" The man picked the boxes and said. "Anyways, I'll be going back now. Business has been blooming these days."

Ajax carefully arranged his weapons on the desk after a short inspection.

"Lesson number one: Never go unprepared." His tone was monotonous yet indescribably heavy. The very first time he even saw a hint of emotion in those metal visors

Samael nodded, his eyes wide in surprise. This man has knack for catching people off guard.

"Come" Ajax beckoned. Samael's forehead creased, but he followed anyway.

"Why did you join the watchers? Is it adventure? Power? Fame? Heroism?" Ajax asked.

Samael fell silent, his eyes lost deep in thoughts. Why did he join the watchers? All he's ever done is fight, kill and survive. He's never really had a clear purpose or a gallant mission. He was simply...

"To hunt"

Ajax flinched at his response. His actions halting for a brief moment. This didn't go unnoticed by Samael.

"In order to survive, live and protect the one's I love... I must hunt those that wish us ruins." He followed.

Ajax fell silent. "Now I understand why the old man appointed me as your instructor" He muttered under his breath.

"If your wish is to hunt, then I will teach you to hunt," Ajax said. "But first, do you know the first rule of a hunter?" He inquired.

Samael's brows rose to an arch. "To kill?"

"No, a Hunter's first rule is survival. Killing comes second, and respect comes third," He corrected.

Samael's eyes narrowed down, a single thought raging in his mind. How does Ajax know so much about hunting?

"It's you! Welcome back, hound! How's the hunt, eh?"

"Your master was titled the 'hound' because of his unparalleled talent in scouting and tracking,"

His eyes widened, thoughts fell down like puzzle pieces. Ajax is a hunter by heart. Perhaps that's the reason for this odd familiarity blooming in his heart.

"Respect?" He asked. He understood survival and killing. In hunting, you kill to survive. It's as simple as that. Or is it?

"A hunter is not some mindless killing machine. Remember, Samael, life is sacred. To take one is already an act of cruelty. That's why hunters must learn to respect the beauty of Life. Everything is a cycle."

Ajax squished a small bug. "The death of something might lead to the survival of another." Ants started to rip the bug apart and take it away to their colonies to feed their young. "We don't kill for no reason. Only when necessary."

Samael's grip tightened. Respect. Now he understands. This will be a lesson he'll carve deep in his heart.

What Ajax said resonated with his soul. To get here, he had to kill to survive, and in the process of doing so, he saved another person's life.

"But that's not always the case." Ajax broke Samael from his stupor.

Samael shifted his gaze ahead.

"Some do not deserve respect as they use it to take others lives for pleasure. Mindless creatures or souls that are so rotten... they don't deserve the gift of life." Ajax said, his icy tone bouncing off the walls of the smithy.

Samael's mind drifted to the mage back at the lab. He tortured people for fun and for the sake of "greater knowledge."

"Focus" Ajax said. Samael shook his head, banishing the useless thoughts away.

"As I said, lesson number one: never go unprepared. Do you have a weapon?" Ajax inquired.

Samael opened his palm, the air distorting as the dark handle of [Crimson Raven] jutted out of a rift, instantly shrouding the room with its passive: fear inducement.

[https://i.ibb.co/W39pkr0/black-darker-colour-red-single-bladed-axe-crows-face-in-the-back-red-glowing-symbols-bandage-h.png]

Ajax stood there, akin to a stone as he remarked. "Nice weapon"

Samael held back the urge to face palm himself right there and then. Can't this man even try harder to show some form of interest?

"Do you know what your weapon is?" Ajax asked.

Samael replied. "It's a tactical tomahawk axe."

"Good. At least you're not completely ignorant," Ajax complemented. Or was it really?

The man took a blade and asked. "Do you know what this is?"

Samael replied. "It's a sword...?"

"To be precise, a short sword. In the watchers, I'm a scout and tracker. Due to this, I don't use heavy weapons and mainly use smaller ones so I can move and traverse better. This is lesson two. Be practical."

This conversation went on for at least an hour or so. Ajax kept testing Samael about his knowledge of weapons, and needless to say, he failed a huge portion of them. However, Ajax showed great patience and understanding when teaching him. He already expected that the boy would have barely any knowledge of weapons.

What did amaze him was the fact that Samael devoured knowledge like a hungry rabid beast. He was quick to grasp the functions of each weapons Ajax presented and keenly so.

The last thing he taught him was knowledge about concoctions. Ajax took out multiple vials, all different in color and use, explaining them one by one.

"The red vial increases your regeneration, but in exchange, it consumes your stamina. That's where the blue vial comes in play," Ajax explained.

"Let me guess, it increases your stamina?" Samael said, cutting off Ajax, who replied.

"Yes."

Samael had consumed one of those blue vials, so he had a hunch about what it could possibly be.

"These two are usually the most commonly used, but there are others, such as"

Ajax withdrew a bottle twice the size of the other vials. It appeared gas like, its hue akin to the sky as the sun sets in the horizon.

"Starlight concoction. Once ignited, it will explode and destroy everything in the nearest 4 meter radius," Ajax explained.

Ajax felt a shiver run down his spine. How can something this small cause such magnitude of damage?

Time ticked flew by in a breeze. Ajax gave him a short rundown of equipment maintenance before they finally went to an inn called "Hazy Moon." Apparently, Ajax's a regular here.

Samael was given food by the staff while Ajax swiftly hid in the loving embrace of his chambers. That man is really antisocial.

Samael wasted no time. He ate the food given to him with utmost gratitude. This after all is his first proper meal in months.

In a flash, his plate shone bright. Earning him some pitied looks from the bystanders. Their faces screaming. "Poor child, he must be starved."

Uncomfortable, Samael left the dining room in a hurry, searching the inn for his assigned room.

Once inside, he slumped down. The room was tidy and simple, yet very cozy.

The interior was composed of a single desk, chair, bed, and cabinets for his clothes. On the wooden table nested a single oil lamp, its luminescent glow casting shadows on the walls.

Samael gently caressed the soft mattress of the bed. He sat down with a resounding sigh. It felt weird and, at the same time, unrealistic. He got too used to living rough.

Who could blame him? One winter ago, he was a slave, doomed to rot in a cell. The next thing he knows, he's stuck in a forest bathed in blood, dealing with assassins and beasts on a daily basis. Such commodities were a luxury he wouldn't dare dream of.

Somehow, reminiscing the events of the past month made him feel exhausted. Seeing how far he's made it...

"I suppose I earned this one"

He fell asleep.