Chester leaned on the counter, his expression solemn as the soft clink of ceramic echoed between them.
"I was once an Argonaut like you," he said.
Eldric blinked. "Me?"
Chester nodded, a faint smile forming before it faded. "Yeah… young, hopeful, excited. But things didn't go well."
Eldric sipped his coffee. "What happened?"
"My guildmates… they all died."
The cup paused mid-air. "Everyone? How?"
Chester's voice lowered. "Because of a Chronomancer."
"A what?"
"I don't even know his name," Chester muttered. "He was too powerful. We had no chance. He killed everyone. Brutally."
Eldric leaned in.
"I only survived because my friends protected me. I escaped in a boat, searched for help, but when we returned… it was too late. The Chronomancer had vanished, and my friends were gone."
A long silence settled between them.
Chester looked up. "Be careful, boy. This world… it's far bigger than you think."
Eldric stared at him, then slowly nodded. "Right… By the way, can I get another cup of coffee?"
Chester chuckled softly. "Of course."
Morning light spilled into the Ashborns' castle lobby.
Muscle stretched his arms and looked around. "Where's Eldric?"
Nova glanced around. "Yeah, I haven't seen him either."
Muscle turned to Luna. "Did you see him?"
"That fool? I don't know," she replied, crossing her arms.
Down in the lobby, tension buzzed in the air as various guilds gathered. Among them stood the Blue Hawks, a group of five boys and three girls laughing obnoxiously.
One of the boys pointed at Muscle. "Look at that guy! What a joke."
The others laughed. Muscle growled. "Why are you laughing, huh?"
Silence fell.
From the center of the Blue Hawks stepped Zuki, their leader a six-star elite Argonaut with thick white hair and a flowing robe.
"Newbie," he said, smirking. "Don't cry. Go tell your mom."
Laughter erupted again.
Muscle snapped and lunged at him. Zuki caught his punch effortlessly and threw him into the wall like a rag doll. The impact shook the room.
Muscle groaned, pain lancing through his side. The others watched in silence.
Luna remained still.
Ronan stared at the ground.
Nova stepped forward. "Hey guys, sorry. He didn't mean to"
"Tell your newbie to be careful next time," Zuki mocked, waving dismissively.
Asher, as usual, was fast asleep on a bench.
Muscle stood up shakily, gritting his teeth. Nova helped him.
Luna eventually walked over and placed her hand on Muscle's knee. A soft glow healed his injury.
"Don't mess with them," she whispered.
Muscle looked down. "What did I do…?"
At that moment, Eldric pushed open the front doors. "Yo! You guys are up! Hey, Muscle, what happened to you?"
"Nothing," Muscle muttered.
Eldric plopped into a chair at the dining table, stretching.
A suited man entered the hall. "Hello. I'm William. Your rankings have been released."
Everyone turned.
"Nova Gerald – 3-Star Argonaut.
Luna – 4-Star Argonaut.
Ronan – 1-Star Argonaut.
Asher Gotti – 5-Star Argonaut."
Muscle blinked. "Five stars? That guy?"
Ronan narrowed his eyes. "Five?"
William continued.
"Muscle – 1-Star Argonaut.
Eldric – 1-Star Argonaut.
Your guild is currently ranked 14th, the lowest among all."
The room fell silent.
"The more expeditions you complete, the more rank and prestige you gain. Good luck." William gave a short bow and left.
Eldric leaned back, his expression unreadable.
The lowest-ranked guild? he thought. Figures.
He looked around at his strange team an overpowered slacker, a silent healer, a hot-headed rival, a frustrated leader, and himself… a mystery even to his own mind.
A small grin curled on his lips.
"Well… time to shake things up."