The third hunter was the youngest, barely twenty, by the look of him, with wild copper hair and a longbow slung across his back nearly as tall as he was. His eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Uh, hi. I'm Ren. I—uh—was told I'd be assisting with field mapping and reconnaissance."
Lucen tilted his head. "First time off the mainland?"
Ren hesitated. "…Is it that obvious?"
"Only completely."
Varik spoke before the kid could get more flustered. "They're under your observation for today. I want your assessment by evening."
Lucen blinked. "Wait—my what?"
Varik didn't stop walking. "Consider it payment for your vacation."
"Unbelievable," Lucen muttered, watching the man disappear toward the tower. "He weaponizes chores."
Orren crossed his arms. "So what do we do, boss?"
"Don't call me that." Lucen sighed. "We're just running drills. Sparring, mana focus, anomaly reaction tests. Nothing fancy. If you break something, fix it. If you die, don't."
