“Are we almost there, Mom?” asked the little girl sitting beside her mother. Her hair swayed with the motion of the horse-drawn carriage.
“We’ll be there soon,” her mother replied, gently stroking her daughter’s head. Then she said, “Look. We can already see Vividale’s gates!”
A smile spread across the little girl’s face, tempting anyone who saw it to pinch her chubby cheeks. The teenage boy sitting across from her was no exception. He had been watching the mother and daughter interact, occasionally offering a faint smile. To anyone else, the smile might have looked strange. Though his lips were smiling, his expression remained stiff. More precisely, the teenager’s face was blank.
The horse-drawn carriage began moving again and entered Vividale, the main hub of the southern region, after briefly stopping to be inspected by several gate guards. The horse’s whinny rang out just as the carriage came to a stop.
The teenage boy, Ganendra, stepped down from the horse-drawn carriage. He paused for a moment, breathing in Vividale’s distinctive city scent. His hand reflexively touched the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist. It wasn’t because there was any threat nearby, but because of a habit formed after years of living on the road. He was making sure his sword was still in place. His gaze slowly swept along Vividale’s streets, taking in every corner before finally settling on a modest building.
With steady steps, Ganendra walked toward the building, whose walls were painted blue and leaf green. A wooden sign hung in front, bearing the words ‘Farwave Tavern.’ Ganendra slowly pushed open the tavern door, setting off the old brass bell above it.
Clang!
The moment Ganendra stepped through the door, the silence of the street outside vanished, replaced by an eruption of laughter from the center table. The cold night air instantly gave way to warm, smoke-filled air. The scents of smoked fish soup, evaporating spilled ale, and tobacco-pipe smoke stung his nose.
The inside was rowdy. On the left, a group of caravan merchants in thick velvet clothing were roaring with laughter as they pounded on a long wooden table. In another corner, a traveling musician plucked an old lute, trying to compete with the clinking of iron glasses striking one another. A few pairs of eyes glanced toward the door—judging whether the newcomer was a friend or a threat—before returning to their own business. Some of them continued whispering about Ganendra.
“Who is he? His face is young, but the aura coming off him is different from other kids his age.” The deep voice remained clearly audible amid the din.
The person sitting beside the muscular man glanced briefly at Ganendra before saying, “I don’t care. Hey, Kyle! Give me another Stormwater!”
Ignoring the brief glances, Ganendra crossed the room, passing a server who moved nimbly with a tray filled with pieces of hard bread.
At the far end of the room stood a long, sturdy oak bar that served as the tavern’s command center. Behind the counter, covered in rings left by glasses, stood a broad-shouldered man wearing a shabby cloth apron. His callused hands were busy wiping the wooden surface with a damp rag, while his sharp eyes immediately locked onto Ganendra’s when the young man stopped directly in front of him.
“What can I do for you, young man? Would you like to order something?” he asked amiably.
“I’d like a bowl of smoked fish soup and a glass of ale. I’d also like to rent a simple room.”
“Ale? Are you an adventurer?” Trevor, the innkeeper, asked doubtfully.
“Yes,” Ganendra replied, handing over his adventurer’s card.
Trevor fell silent as he read Ganendra’s adventurer’s card. His brows furrowed slightly. Then he looked at Ganendra. “Sorry, kid. This inn doesn’t serve ale with alcohol content that low to children your age. I’d recommend a different drink. And how many days will you be staying?”
“One night.”
“That’ll be 2 Lumen. Your room is number 18.”
Ganendra placed 2 Lumen—silver coins—on the counter. Then he took the key Trevor handed him and headed for an empty table.
Five minutes later, Ganendra’s order arrived. Without saying much, he began enjoying his meal.
“Lately, it seems the fishermen’s catches in the village of Tidehaven have been dwindling. Do you know why?” someone at the table behind Ganendra asked.
“You really don’t know? It’s all because of the tentacled monster.”
“You mean an octopus monster?”
“It’s no ordinary monster. It’s a Kraken. I heard no one has been able to defeat it yet. Plenty of adventurer guilds have tried to fight it, but they’ve always ended in failure. And do you know how much the adventurer guild is offering for the Kraken mission?”
“How much?”
“About 30 Regal.”
“What?! 30 Regal? If you pulled that off, you could live a lot more comfortably for months.”
Ganendra smiled when he heard the reward amount for the Kraken mission. In his heart, he resolved to go to the adventurer guild the next day. Ganendra rose from his seat, not forgetting to leave several Ingot coins on the table as a tip.
The next day, Ganendra went to the adventurer guild. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the uproar of adventurers filling some of the tables. Several stood by the mission board, while others waited in line to receive stamps from the staff.
Ganendra walked past several teams discussing which missions they would take. He stopped to read the mission board. Then he took the paper he was looking for and walked toward the reception desk. When his turn came, Ganendra stepped forward. He briefly glanced at the name attached to the receptionist’s uniform.
“Hi, Luna. I’d like to take this mission,” Ganendra said, placing the mission paper on the desk.
Luna frowned in confusion as she read the mission Ganendra had chosen. “Can I see your adventurer’s card?”
Luna took the card Ganendra handed her. After reading his information, she said, “Where’s your team? Are you planning to do this mission alone?”
“Yes. I’m going alone.”
“I’m sorry, Ganendra. I can’t authorize this mission for you. You know the guild rules, right?”
“I know the rules, Luna. Adventurers can only take missions one rank above their own. But this is an emergency.”
“An emergency isn’t an excuse to commit suicide. You’re Rank B! And this paper you’re holding? This isn’t an ordinary Rank A mission. It’s a special Rank A+ mission.”
The guild’s din suddenly quieted somewhat around the reception desk. Several adventurers nearby began turning their heads, interested in the tension that was building.
“That’s exactly why we don’t have much time. The monster might still be out in the middle of the sea, but what if it crawls onto the shore? The people in Tidehaven are in danger.”
“But you’re alone, Ganendra! Under the regulations, I could be fired, or face something even worse. I’d practically be sending you into a pit of death. I’m not stamping my approval on this.”
“I’ll quit if you won’t let me take this mission. And I’ll accept the penalty if the mission fails.”
Luna let out a weary sigh. Arguing with Ganendra was truly exhausting. But when she looked into those red eyes, full of confidence and determination, she fell silent. Then she stamped the mission papers, her feelings tangled between fear and doubt.
“You’re... incredibly stubborn. The guild won’t take responsibility if something happens to you. So don’t blame us—you’re the one who insisted on taking this mission.”
“I know, Luna. Thank you, and see you around.”