Chapter Thirty-One: Trouble Brewing

Gilly opened her eyes sluggishly, the moonlight reflecting off the mirror across from her bed. She rubbed her eyes, stifled a yawn, and sat up. After a moment she swung her legs to the floor, stretching before dragging herself out of bed.

It was hard to believe she had been in this place for nearly a year. Today should have been an exciting day—she was supposed to meet Valmor, receive her first official mission, and finally be introduced to her teammates. Normally, she would’ve been brimming with energy, but instead she felt an undeniable urge to stay in bed.

As she dressed and strapped her sword to her waist, her mind drifted to her friends. Ever since the exam, the world had only grown larger and more complicated, and she hadn’t known who to confide in about her struggles. Every morning she woke up wondering about them, hoping they were still alive. She had tried several times to see Uyi during her training, but Valmor and Zin had both refused her bluntly. Powerless against their authority, she carried that weight in silence.

With a tired sigh, she rubbed her eyes once more and left her room.

The streets greeted her in the usual way—smiles here, waves there, short conversations she barely remembered. But as she neared Valmor’s office, she noticed an unusual crowd. A cluster of guards had gathered outside, standing in formation.

“The new recruits?” Gilly thought, stifling another yawn. “Did something happen?”

She overheard fragments of conversation—“drills” and “posting of guards”—but her sluggish mind refused to piece it together. Around thirty-four of the forty cadets had officially been promoted to guards, yet today many of them looked uneasy. She waved to a few familiar faces but didn’t linger. Her exhaustion was heavier than her curiosity, so she ignored the scene and walked directly into the building.

In the hallway she crossed paths with Penre. They exchanged greetings, and he congratulated her on becoming an adventurer. His tone was kind, but something about him felt… off. The tension in the air was thick, like an invisible weight pressing down. Gilly’s tiredness melted away, replaced with a spark of unease. Penre’s mood shifted quickly as he passed her, leaving her unsettled.

She hurried into Valmor’s office, where the atmosphere was even stranger. Siel, Ephini, Valmor, Zenora, Zin, and Pom were all gathered.

“I guess we should cancel all, except this one,” someone said.

Gilly hesitated in the doorway, confused. She wanted to ask, but instinct told her to keep quiet.

“Perfect timing, Gilly,” Valmor said, turning to her with a smile. “Are you ready for your first mission?”

She forced a smile back and nodded, though unease churned in her chest.

Valmor unrolled a scroll across the table. The others gathered closer as he briefed her: their task was to subjugate a baby Fire Salamander.

By then Ephini and Pom had left, and the tension in the room eased. Zin sat quietly on the sofa, gazing out the window. Siel and Zenora leaned over the table with Valmor as he explained further.

The Fire Salamander was a draconic-descendant creature. Its scales were thick and difficult to pierce, its tail a deadly whip, and its fire breath devastating. It was an all-round predator, strong both in offense and defense.

Gilly’s intrigue grew. From Valmor’s words, she realized the creature’s rank was above Camper class—perhaps even matching Siel, a Hunter-class adventurer.

“This was originally meant to be a solo mission,” Valmor said, “but due to certain circumstances, you’ll be teaming up with these two. Hilary has already agreed, so there should be no issue.”

The phrase “special circumstances” made Gilly’s chest tighten. Something had indeed happened. Her thoughts drifted, only to be snapped back when Zenora called her name.

“Sorry,” Gilly said quickly. “I was just… lost in thought.”

With further explanation, she learned Zin would also accompany them, though no reason was given. Siel would act as team leader. Zenora, who had just passed her exams, would be her direct teammate.

They were to depart the next day. Their mission site was near the border, close to the sea. Traveling by foot would have taken a full night cycle, but Ephini would prepare a teleportation array to cut the journey to a single day.

They would make a stop in Loran, the border city of Asram, to drop off their spoils at the Adventurer’s Guild before making their way back. Loran itself sat closer to Elnor than to the sea border. Valmor reassured them the plan was safe—the sun would be up, and after all, those who walked in the dark rarely dared to appear by day.

Gilly was dismissed. She left the office chatting lightly with Zenora, but Zin stayed behind. The silence that followed was heavy.

After a long pause, Zin spoke. “It’s strange they’d choose now to move. The Dark One swore neutrality. I think these shadows are acting without her support.”

Valmor frowned. Recently, Siel and Penre had discovered traces of demons—and someone else unknown—searching in the forest. Such a thing should have been impossible; demons required special permission to even set foot on this continent.

“The Dark One has been neutral for centuries,” Valmor said grimly. “But the shadow clans are vast. One may raise the white flag, but that doesn’t mean all obey.”

He was troubled. With Seras away, their only defense against a high-ranking shadow would be Zin. Yet Seras had strictly ordered Zin never to leave Gilly’s side. That left only Pom, Asrck, or Ephini to intervene if an attack occurred.

Still, Seras had erected a powerful barrier around the city—if anything happened, she would be alerted and return swiftly. Valmor clung to that thought. At least Gilly, who seemed so important to Seras, would remain safe.

“All we can do now is wait,” he muttered. “And hope no incident occurs tonight.”

“Don’t worry,” Zin said as he turned to leave. “If anything happens, I can call Lo or the Grandmaster to transport us.”

He waved Valmor’s concerns aside and exited, leaving the room in silence once more. Valmor wasn’t convinced, but at least he had faith his son would return. For now, he left everything to fate.

The next morning, Gilly’s excitement had returned. She hurried to Valmor’s office, where he reminded her to follow instructions carefully. She nodded, then made her way to the library, where her companions waited.

“You’re late,” Ephini teased.

“Sorry—I had to see Valmor,” Gilly replied nervously.

“If you’re ready, then let’s begin,” Zin said, leading the way. Strapped to his waist was a black sword—an unusual and rare sight.

They gathered at the same spot where Gilly had once taken her mana aptitude test. The device stood ready, humming faintly with power.

“Gilly, teamwork is important,” Ephini said gently. “Trust your companions. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

Then, in a sudden burst of affection, she leapt onto Siel, hugging him tightly. Gilly averted her eyes, embarrassed. She knew they were married, but the public display made her cheeks burn almost as much as Siel’s, whose face had gone crimson. Zenora chuckled softly as she inspected her staff one last time, ensuring it was in perfect condition.

“Let’s have a good adventure, Gilly,” Zenora said brightly. Her smile was warm and reassuring.

Farewells were exchanged. Zin gave his sister one last look. Ephini’s staff appeared from thin air, glowing with a soft brilliance. With a wave, radiant light enveloped the team.

As Gilly’s vision blurred, she heard a voice echo faintly in her ears:

Be careful, Gilly. Fate is against you.

Then the light swallowed her, and the group vanished from sight.

Author's Note

Really sorry for the late chapter release! I had this chapter written down but didn’t get the chance to upload it on time. Don’t worry though—tomorrow’s chapter will be up at the usual time, 9 PM GMT+1.
Once again, apologies for the delay, and thank you for your patience. See you in the next one!