Chapter 46: The Team

Chapter 46: The TeamA day later, at the Adventurer’s Guild. Inigo and Lyra entered—and instead of the usual bustle of armor-clad warriors, shouting clerks, and clashing tankards, they were met with stillness. Chairs sat empty. The quest board was bare. Not even Elise was behind the counter. Inigo narrowed his eyes. "It’s empty." Lyra scanned the quiet hall. "This is unusual." "It is indeed unusual," came a booming voice from across the room. Both turned toward the source. From a hallway behind the main desk emerged Guildmaster Thorne, his deep crimson cloak dragging behind him like a battle standard. Despite the early hour, the man looked fully awake—broad-shouldered, weathered, and already nursing a ceramic mug that smelled of black coffee and something faintly spiced. "For the meantime," Thorne continued, his heavy boots echoing across the stone floor, "the Adventurer’s Guild will not be accepting requests from the public." Inigo stepped forward, frowning. "Why? What’s going on?" Thorne approached them with the weight of a man who carried both authority and bad news. "Because of the rift incident two days ago," he said grimly. "This branch is now designated as a Staging Point." Lyra tensed. "Staging point... for what?" "For those who will enter the rift," Thorne answered, setting his mug down on a side table. "Including both of you." The words hit with finality. "I see," Inigo looked to Lyra. She didn’t say anything—but her shoulders were stiff. "When is the briefing?" he asked. "They’re on their way," Thorne said. "Small strike teams only. Seven people total in your group. You two are the first to arrive." "Who else?" Lyra asked. "You’ll meet them shortly," Thorne replied. Then his tone lightened. "But first—breakfast." He gestured toward the long wooden table near the side wall. Instead of the usual guild mess, it had been set with fresh bread, spiced sausages, steamed eggs, and pitchers of herbal tea and water. A tray of sliced fruit sat near the end. "Compliments of the house," Thorne said. "You’ll need the energy." "Thank you," Inigo said, pulling out a chair. "This actually smells amazing." Lyra slid into the seat beside him and poured herself a cup of tea. "Not what I expected when walking into a ’Staging Point.’" Inigo took a bite of spiced sausage, then ripped a piece of bread and dipped it into his eggs. "Better than trail rations, that’s for sure." Lyra smiled faintly as she reached for a slice of fruit. "Yeah. Might as well enjoy it before things go crazy." For a few quiet minutes, they ate in peace. The food was warm, freshly cooked, and clearly not just standard guild fare. Someone had gone out of their way to prepare it. Then—footsteps echoed from the entrance. The doors creaked open, and a group of figures stepped inside. "Heyyy! So we are the early birds!" chirped a bubbly, energetic voice. Inigo and Lyra turned—and saw a girl about their age, blonde hair tied into a high twin-tail with spellclips that glowed faintly with mana. Her robes were navy and gold, and her wand sparkled with polished crystal tips. Her wide, starry eyes scanned the room with infectious curiosity. "I’m Reina Aurel!" she declared, striking a pose. "Top of my class at the Imperial Magic Academy! You must be the rest of my team?" Lyra blinked. "...She’s loud." "Louder than you were expecting, huh?" Inigo muttered. Behind Reina came a tall, graceful woman in white priest’s robes—hood down, long chestnut hair cascading down her back. Her demeanor radiated calm and confidence, and her smile was gentle, almost motherly. "Ignore Reina," she said with a soft laugh. "She gets excited around new people. I’m Sister Marianne, the healer of this party. You may call me Marianne." Reina beamed. "Don’t worry, I’m great in combat! I just like, you know, people." Next came a figure clad in gleaming silver armor, every piece polished and fitted perfectly. A blue cape swayed behind him, and the crest of the Royal Knight’s Academy gleamed on his chestplate. His sword was long, heavy, and carried with the grace of a true expert. "Sir Kael Godwin," he said formally. "Pleasure to meet you." Inigo gave him a once-over and muttered. "He look like you walked out of a painting." Trailing behind them were two figures dressed for far more shadowy work. One wore a dark half-mask and lightweight leather armor, daggers strapped to his thighs and a platinum guild emblem pinned near the collar. His presence was quiet, calculating. Thorne gestured toward him. "That’s Shade. Platinum-ranked assassin. Doesn’t talk much, but you’ll want him on your side." The last figure was even larger than Kael. Thick black armor covered him from neck to boot, battered with scratches from countless fights. A massive tower shield rested on his back. His eyes—calm, calculating—peeked out from beneath a spiked helmet. "**Darius. Tank. Platinum-class." His voice was deep, like stone grinding. Just hearing their introductions made Inigo and Lyra feel out of place. After all, they are high-ranking individuals and they were just silver-ranked adventurers. "So these two?" Reina hummed as she approached Inigo and Lyra. "An elf and an ordinary human. I don’t sense much potential from you," she said as she stared at Inigo in the eye. "Oh my—you are a silver-ranked adventurer. That explains it." "Am I being mocked?" Inigo chuckled, trying to sound lighthearted, though there was a twitch at the corner of his eye. Reina gasped theatrically, covering her mouth with both hands. "Oh nooo, was I too blunt?" she said, eyes wide and shimmering with overdone innocence. "But I’m just being honest, you know? Honesty is a virtue!" Lyra raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea with a deadpan stare. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" "Me?" Reina tilted her head, then leaned in toward Inigo with a sly grin. "Maybe just a little. I have heard of your exploits, you both taking down kobold camps, a wyvern...it’s impressive. I think you’ll be able to keep up with us. Anyways what do you do...what’s your name?" "Inigo." "Oh right Inigo, what are your talents?" "I’m good at shutting down people," Inigo replied confidently. Reina tilted her head to the side, her finger on her lips. "Shutting down? What does it mean?" "I shoot enemies," Inigo answered, the corner of his lip twitching from annoyance. "Shoot enemies? With what? I don’t see any bows and arrows on you—" Reina leaned closer, eyes flicking across Inigo. "That’s enough, Reina. You’re intimidating the poor guy," Sister Marianne said gently, placing a calm hand on the girl’s shoulder. "But I’m not even being mean yet," Reina pouted, puffing her cheeks. "I’m just curious! I like knowing what people do. Like this elf over here—she’s clearly an archer as she has her bow and arrow on her. But Inigo?" "Yes, yes, calm down now," Marianne shushed her. "I can’t believe that you really applied for this mission," said Shade, voice cold and low as he casually unsheathed a dagger. Then suddenly—he vanished. Inigo blinked. A faint whisper of air brushed against his neck. A heartbeat later, cold steel kissed the side of his throat. Everyone froze. Even Reina’s mouth hung open slightly, her playful smirk fading. "You’ll die easily," Shade said flatly, his voice now barely inches from Inigo’s ear. His presence had materialized behind him like a shadow given form—no footsteps, no sound, no warning. Lyra’s hand shot halfway to her bow. Kael stood but didn’t draw. Only Marianne seemed calm, though even her smile faltered slightly. Inigo didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Instead... he smiled. Just a little. Not out of arrogance—but awe. His pulse quickened—not from panic, but from the sheer thrill of it. That speed. That silence. That precision. It was terrifying, yes. But it was also a glimpse. A glimpse of what he could become. Shade pulled the dagger back and stepped away without another word, his mask hiding whatever expression he might have had. Inigo exhaled slowly, raising a hand to rub his neck. "Huh." "H-Huh?!" Reina practically squeaked. "He just teleported behind you and put a knife to your throat! You didn’t even jump!" Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "That’s because I wasn’t scared," Inigo replied, staring at the spot Shade had stood just moments ago. "I was... impressed." Lyra gave him a side glance. "You call that being impressed? You almost got your head separated." Inigo smirked. "If he wanted to kill me, I’d be dead already. But he didn’t. That means it was a lesson." "A lesson?" Marianne asked, folding her arms gently. Inigo nodded. "Yeah. That I’ve still got a long way to go." "Okay settle down now, let’s discuss the rift now."