In the heart of Eliy, the marble of the royal hall glowed faintly as the sun set. Corvus burst in, his white cloak fluttering, to face Stelios, who was waiting for him behind a walnut desk, a glass of wine in his hand.
"The leaders of Molvar? Have you caught them yet?" Corvus' voice boomed without preamble.
Stelios raised an eyebrow, taking a sip before responding. 'No sign of an army. Not even an organised squad. Just ruins and whispers. The few who survived babble about a priest in yellow armour and creatures of dust or ash. They say no one could stop him.'
'Creatures of ash?' Corvus frowned. 'No one in our ranks has such powerful summoning magic...'
'Perhaps a prodigy,' Stelios shrugged, 'or something beyond us. But changing the subject... why did you send Krau with the novice? Why not Noxie?'
Corvus fixed his gaze on him. 'Noxie? That fool has a weakness for girls. I wouldn't put him in charge of a mission like that, especially with a sixteen-year-old novice. Krau, despite everything, has a code. And that's more than I can say for others you call "champions".'
Stelios did not respond. He just drank, letting the silence speak for him.
Meanwhile, in Uraside, the sun was setting, painting the west orange. Krau and Liria were walking down a bustling street; the repairs to their cart were almost complete.
'Krau... can we have a snack?' Liria approached, her voice full of optimism. "I saw a bakery near the market. They say they make forest fruit cakes!"
'No,' Krau's response was curt.
'Please... just one. A small one,' Liria insisted, pleading.
'No,' he repeated, unmoved.
'One! It's not even for me, it's to share!'
Krau sighed, bringing a hand to the bridge of his nose. 'Liria... we can't afford luxuries. Gold is scarce. Or do you expect me to find another cart lying around somewhere?'
She crossed her arms. 'But you've been more tense than usual. Something sweet helps with bad moods.'
Krau glanced at her sideways. 'Unless more girls disappear, we're not going to make any money. And I'm not going to join a local guild. Half of them work with criminals, and the other half work for them.'
Liria frowned. 'What a horrible joke!'
'And realistic,' Krau replied.
She sighed. 'All right... But only because I don't want to owe money to a guild.'
As they talked, Krau stopped in front of a bulletin board. A flashy poster with gold ink stood out in the centre.
STRENGTH CONTEST – ARM-WRESTLING COMPETITION
Reward: 1,000 gold coins and free dinner for three days at the Red Cat Tavern.
Krau narrowed his eyes. 'Hmm.'
Liria came closer and read aloud. 'Arm wrestling contest...? Are you going to participate?'
'I don't know... Maybe. We're short on funds.'
A smile lit up Liria's face. 'Yes! If you win, you'll be able to eat something decent! Can I come with you?'
Krau didn't answer. But, almost imperceptibly, the tension in his shoulders relaxed. His eyes, however, kept returning to the poster, as if he were already calculating the odds, weighing whether any local brute could even pose a real challenge to him.