Silverhaven never truly slept.
Even in the late hours, city guards rotated watch at the gates, taverns in the lower ring still roared with laughter, and lanterns glowed along the main roads like watchful eyes. But at the Adventurer's Guild, the tone was different.
The hall was quieter now, most rookies having retired for the night. Yet the quest board was freshly posted.
"URGENT – Goblin activity reported near South Forest. Two caravans lost. One survivor. Investigation needed. Reward: 50 copper."
Red read it once.
Then pulled the parchment off the board and walked silently to the counter.
Sophia didn't look surprised. "You're taking this alone too?"
He nodded.
She gave him a look that could have killed a lesser man. "Goblins aren't Smokies. They plan. And they multiply fast. Take backup."
Red: "I'll handle it."
Sophia sighed, stamping the paper. "Just… don't die, alright? We're starting to run out of decent legends."
Red was gone before she finished.
The outskirts of Silverhaven gave way to scattered farmland, dirt roads, and dense patches of woodland. The South Forest was a known hotspot, not just for goblins, but all kinds of monsters. Rookie adventurers were warned to avoid it unless paired with experienced escorts.
The trees grew thick here. Shadows swallowed the underbrush. Red moved swiftly, noiselessly. Twin swords rested on his back like extensions of his will.
He tracked the signs easily. Shattered wagon pieces. Dried blood. Broken crates. Goblin tracks, small, clawed, and chaotic.
He moved deeper.
Then, a sound.
A muffled cry.
Red's pace quickened. He reached a small glade half-hidden behind gnarled trees, just in time to see them.
Three goblins, armed with crude blades, surrounding a girl — an elf, pinned against a mossy rock, her bow shattered beside her. She'd fought back, her knuckles were bruised, and two goblins already bled from arrow wounds. But she was exhausted, wounded, and nearly cornered.
One goblin lunged.
That was a mistake.
Red moved like a ghost through mist. One blade swept in a blur, schlick, cleaving through the creature's spine.
The others turned. Too late.
His second sword pierced the throat of the second goblin with surgical precision. The third tried to flee.
Red didn't let it.
Three seconds.
Three dead.
The elf girl blinked, breathing raggedly. She stared at him as if unsure whether he was real.
"You okay?" Red asked quietly, cleaning his blade.
She swallowed. "I… think so. Bastards ambushed me. I was scouting ahead. Didn't expect a den that deep in."
He nodded. "You were lucky."
"No," she said, locking eyes with him. "I was lucky you showed up."
She stood shakily, brushing off her torn tunic. Her golden eyes gleamed with sharpness despite her injury. Her ponytailed blonde hair was matted with leaves and blood, but her presence remained proud.
"I'm Rika," she said. "Archer. Sylvan line. You?"
"Red."
Her eyes widened. "The Black Sword? Wait… I've heard about you. You killed Baphomet alone, didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
Rika smirked. "Guess the rumors undersold you."
They returned to Silverhaven by nightfall. Red said little, letting Rika set the pace. She limped, but refused help. Prideful, but not foolish. He respected that.
At the guild, Sophia gave them both a raised brow.
"Another one?" she said dryly. "You're starting to collect people like stray dogs."
"She fought well," Red replied simply.
Red: "But she needs a place to recover."
Rika rolled her eyes. "I can speak for myself, thanks."
Sophia handed over their reward and shook her head.
Sophia: "Well, far be it from me to question your judgment, Red. But your room at the inn's gonna start feeling like a dormitory."
The innkeeper looked stunned when Red returned again with someone new. But the room was ready, cleaned, food set, fire lit.
Inside, Selena was polishing her borrowed blade. Lio sat on the floor with Hina, who was teaching him basic herb identification using scraps from the apothecary. Lia and Lana, now healthier, sat snuggled in blankets nearby.
When Red stepped inside, all eyes turned.
Rika followed behind him.
Selena stood slowly. "Another girl?"
"Are you building an army or a household?" Lio asked, half-joking.
Hina rose, noticing the dried blood on Rika's arm. "You're hurt."
"I've had worse," Rika replied. "Just a scrape."
Hina: "Let me look at it."
Rika blinked at the soft-spoken healer. "Uh… sure."
She sat on the low bed while Hina gently touched her shoulder. A warm, golden light glowed from her hands.
Rika blinked. "You're a priest or something?"
"Not yet," Hina murmured. "But I'm trying."
"Your magic's steady," Rika said after a moment. "Better than some temple clerics I've met."
Hina flushed slightly.
Selena approached next. She looked at Red, then at Rika. "You saved her?"
"She held her own," Red said. "But there were too many."
Rika crossed her arms. "I could've taken them. Maybe. Eventually."
Selena smirked. "You're stubborn."
Rika: "You're sharp."
The two locked gazes for a long second.
Then Selena nodded once.
Selena: "So be it."
Lio waved. "I'm Lio. These are my sisters, Lia and Lana. They're doing better now, thanks to Hina."
Rika's expression softened slightly as she glanced at the twins. "Didn't expect kids here."
"They're family," Lio said firmly.
Rika raised an eyebrow. "And what are we, then?"
Red spoke for the first time since entering. "Potential."
Rika turned toward him. "You don't talk much, do you?"
He didn't answer.
She grinned. "Good. I hate loud people."
That night, the room was filled with more than warmth, it carried the tension of change.
Five souls, drawn together not by fate, but by a man with black swords who saw beyond weakness and poverty. Each one had been lost, wounded, forgotten. Now, they shared food. Shared space. Began to understand that they were not alone anymore.
Selena watched Rika sharpen a borrowed knife with slow, deliberate strokes. "You respect him," she said quietly.
Rika didn't stop. "He's the kind of man who doesn't waste words. Or motion. The kind of man who kills without drama. Efficient. Sharp. I like that."
Selena nodded. "Me too."
From the corner, Hina smiled faintly as she tucked the twins into bed.
Lio leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "So, what now? We just keep adding people until we run out of beds?"
Red answered from the window, where he stood as always, watching the night.
"Maybe" he said.