Iguro Town was always alive in the morning. Merchants shouted over each other in the cobbled marketplace, offering fish fresh from the morning catch, while Dwarven smiths hammered away at their forges, sending the scent of hot steel and soot into the air. Horsemen messengers galloped through the streets, their hooves ringing against the stone roads as they carried letters and parcels to the farthest corners of the Visayas.
It was here, tucked away in the quieter eastern district, that a new signboard creaked in the breeze. The lettering, freshly painted in silver and white, read:
"Silver Phantom Guild — Adventurers Welcome."
Olivia Verga stood in the doorway, arms folded over her chest. She had the bearing of someone who had already seen her share of battles—broad stance, chin held high—but the faint circles under her eyes betrayed the truth: opening a guild wasn't a battlefield she'd been prepared for.
She had the skills: Healing Light, Divine Shield, even the rare Holy Box—but paperwork? Licenses? Recruiting? That was a different war entirely.
Inside, the guild hall looked neat but bare. A long wooden table stood in the center, a quest board on the wall still empty save for a single, rather pitiful flyer:
Help Wanted — Guild Members Needed. Experience Optional. Pay Negotiable.
James Cruz pushed open the door, dust clinging to the hem of his simple traveler's cloak. He was young, but not the kind of young that brimmed with reckless energy. His eyes moved carefully over the room, calculating.
The truth was, he hadn't planned on joining a guild. His Scholar training was modest—basic spells like Magic Missiles and Mana Shield, a useful Light Orb for dark rooms, but hardly the kind of power that turned the tide in an epic battle. Still, his purse was nearly empty, and the inns in Iguro Town didn't take credit.
"Welcome," Olivia said, her voice steady and commanding despite her obvious fatigue. "Looking for work?"
"Something like that," James replied, stepping closer. "What's the pay?"
She smirked faintly, though her eyes were sharp. "That depends. What do you offer?"
"Level five Scholar. Utility spells, some offensive, some defensive. I read maps, keep records, and I don't panic under pressure."
Olivia tapped her fingers on the table, considering. "We're new. Silver Phantom doesn't have much coin yet. But you'll get food, a bed, and a cut from whatever jobs we take."
James hesitated. He could walk away. But something about the way she stood there—like she was holding back an ocean of plans behind her eyes—made him curious.
"Alright," he said at last. "Where do I sign?"
Olivia's smirk softened into a true smile. "Welcome to the Silver Phantom, James Cruz. Let's make this work."
Outside, the wind shifted, carrying the smell of salt from the harbor. Neither of them knew it yet, but Iguro Town was about to become more than just a small dot on the map. And the Silver Phantom Guild's banner, still creaking above the door, would soon be known across kingdoms.