Morning sunlight filtered through the high windows of the Silverhaven Adventurer Guild, painting long, golden streaks across the marble floor. The hum of activity inside was constant—adventurers chatting, scribes stamping forms, quest boards being updated by guild staff. And right in the center of it all, seated at a wooden table beneath a huge map of the Kingdom of Natharas, were Red, Selena, Lio, and Hina.
Red stood silently, arms crossed, eyes scanning the quest board while the others looked over parchment listings.
Lio: I think this one's good,
Lio suggested, pointing at a medium-difficulty quest involving wyvern eggs.
Lio: It's close to Silverhill Ridge, and it pays decently.
"Too far," Red replied flatly, barely sparing it a glance.
Hina: Then how about this missing person report in Westmere?
Red gave it a brief look.
Red: Priority's too low. We're looking for something more direct.
"Wow," Selena huffed from behind him.
Selena: You could at least pretend to be democratic.
Red turned slightly, one brow raised. "I'm listening."
Selena: No, you're 'brooding silently while ignoring us and looking cool,'
Selena grumbled, crossing her arms with a little pout. "There's a difference."
Before Red could respond, the wooden doors to the guild burst open.
"HELLO~!"
Two familiar voices echoed through the hall like twin gusts of cheerful wind. Heads turned as Rika and Yuzu practically bounced into the building.
"Rika! Yuzu!" Hina lit up and waved enthusiastically as the two girls hurried over.
"Sorry we're late!" Rika chirped, her bow bouncing behind her as she jogged.
Rika: Took forever to convince Sebas to let us come!
"We made it just in time!" Yuzu added, adjusting her mage hat.
Yuzu: So! What are we doing today?"
Selena froze. Her face darkened, slowly turning toward the two newcomers like a storm cloud over calm seas.
"You two again," she said sweetly. Too sweetly.
"Oh, hi Selena!" Rika beamed.
Yuzu: Morning~!
Selena: What brings you here?"
Selena asked in the tone of someone who was definitely not smiling on the inside.
Rika: We want to join your party today!" she said cheerfully.
Yuzu: Yup! We're totally free. No noble stuff. Just us and quests and adventure~!
Selena's eye twitched. "How nice."
Lio glanced around nervously.
Lio: Uh, well, I mean, it's not like we don't have space...
Selena turned to him sharply. "Lio."
Lio: Yes?" he gulped.
Selena: Stop talking.
Lio: Right. Shutting up.
Selena turned back to Rika and Yuzu, hands on her hips.
Selena: Don't you think we already have enough girls in this party?
"Huh?" Rika blinked.
"There's me," Selena began counting on her fingers.
Selena: Hina. Now you two. That's four. FOUR girls. To two guys."
"I don't mind the math," Rika shrugged.
"Neither do I!" Yuzu grinned.
"Of course you don't!" Selena shouted, now visibly spiraling.
Selena: You're not the one who's stuck being the love rival while every girl keeps orbiting around Red like moths to a flame!"
Red, for his part, was still staring at the quest board in silence, completely unfazed.
Selena: Besides! This is clearly a harem situation, and I am not emotionally prepared for that!
The guild hall fell into momentary silence.
Someone coughed in the distance.
A cup clinked.
Red finally turned, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "You done?"
Selena's face flushed crimson. "...Maybe."
Then...
"Red?" a familiar voice called out from across the guild.
Receptionist Sophia stood behind the front desk, her gloved hand raised as she beckoned.
Receptionist Sophia: Could you come here for a moment?
Red nodded once and walked over without another word, leaving behind a flurry of bickering energy between his chaotic party members.
At the reception desk, Sophia leaned in slightly, lowering her voice.
Receptionist Sophia: I have something a bit more... complicated," she said, sliding a sealed quest scroll across the counter. "Not quite a bounty, not quite a hunt. It's an investigation.
Red raised a brow and unsealed the scroll with a flick.
The parchment inside was lined with red ink and stamped with the Ironspire Hold sigil.
Red: Orcs?" he muttered.
Receptionist Sophia: Yes, We've had multiple irregular reports from the northern Ironspire mining region. The miners and a few patrol squads claim they've seen large shadows moving near the abandoned quarry. No attacks, but signs of movement. We want intel, not slaughter.
"Information?" Red repeated, eyes narrowing.
Receptionist Sophia: Exactly. The guild needs someone capable of handling orc threats if necessary, but more importantly, someone who won't start a bloodbath unless provoked.
Red thought for a moment, then folded the scroll and slipped it into his inner coat.
Red: We'll take it.
Receptionist Sophia: I thought you might. Be careful, Red. Orcs near Ironspire? Something's not right.
He nodded once more and turned back toward the party table, where chaos was still reigning.
Hina: I'm just saying, we need a balance of roles, and with Rika as archer and Yuzu as mage..." Hina was saying before Selena cut her off.
Selena: And I'm just saying Red doesn't need an entire bouquet of girls around him while he's trying to swing a sword!
"I like being a tulip!" Yuzu declared proudly.
"I'm a sunflower!" Rika added, flexing like a dork.
Red arrived at the table, dropped the scroll in front of them, and sat down.
Red: We're going north, Ironspire. Orcs. Surveillance. No killing unless necessary.
The girls paused.
"Orcs?" Selena blinked.
Selena: Like... big tusks, body odor, ten feet tall, those orcs?
Red: Yes.
"Oooooh," Rika said, leaning forward with sudden excitement. "Sounds dangerous!"
"I'm in!" Yuzu grinned.
Selena: Why am I the only sane one here?
"You're not," Lio mumbled from the corner, sipping tea he made for himself. "I've been saying that for days."
Selena: No one asked you, Lio.
Lio: Right. My bad.
As the group finalized preparations and received the details from Sophia, the buzz in the guild quieted for just a moment.
Red stood again, brushing off his coat.
Red: Be ready. We leave tomorrow at first light.
Everyone nodded, except Selena, who raised a hand.
Selena: Wait. Important question.
Red paused. "What is it?"
She pointed between herself, Hina, Rika, and Yuzu.
Selena: Sleeping arrangements. Because I am not bunking with Miss Rescue, Miss Fake-Fiancée, and Miss Sugar Mage all in one tent."
Rika raised a hand. "Can I have my own tent?"
Selena: No!
Yuzu blinked. "Then can Red sleep in mine?"
Selena: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
"...I'll just take the night watch," Red muttered, rubbing his temples.
This was going to be a very long quest.
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