The scent of roasted beans drifted through the second floor of the Silverhaven Guild Hall, where a modest café overlooked the bustling quest board below.
Red sat at a corner table, the back wall to his side, and a small cup of steaming coffee in front of him. The cup was old but clean, chipped slightly at the rim—just enough to suggest wear without compromise.
He sipped it slowly.
Below, adventurers bickered, laughed, postured. Bronze and Silver ranks argued about gear, posted names, reward splits. Noisy. Distracted.
He preferred this view. Quiet. Distant.
In front of him, five parchment quests lay spread across the table like a hand of cards. All had one word stamped in the header in thick black ink: Goblins.
He tapped one quest with his gloved finger.
"Tazuna Bridge – Goblin Activity Reported. Destroy any nests. Escort is not required."
Distance: 38 kilometers east. Reward: 5 bronze coins.
Client: Village Leader, Tazuna.
Another:
"Rice Theft in Sasahara – Suspected Goblin Raiding Party."
Distance: 45 kilometers east. Minor farmland village. Reward: 6 bronze coins. Bonus for heads returned.
He sipped his coffee again, scanning each route. Villages like Tazuna and Sasahara were close together, both connected by a worn trade path that veered slightly north. He ran the route through his head.
Next quest:
"Roadblock Removal Request – Goblins spotted near Nokigiri Woods trail. Caravan delays reported."
Distance: 53 kilometers. Forested route, known for thick fog and occasional illusions.
Last:
"Yamitsuki Edge Watch – Goblin cave rumored near ridge path. Confirm and eliminate."
Distance: 80 kilometers.
Further out, but along the same road. Requires a descent and climb, but manageable.
Red folded the fifth paper back into the board. That one didn't align with the others.
Four was enough.
Four quests. Four villages. One route. All doable within a day if planned precisely.
He gathered the parchments and stood up, the last sip of coffee left untouched. His boots made almost no sound as he descended the stairs and returned to the guild's front desk.
Sophia glanced up from behind a mountain of paperwork. "Back already?"
Red slid the four quest parchments across the counter.
She arched a brow, flipping through them. "All goblins, huh? You could've taken these as a rookie, you know."
He said nothing.
"You've been Mithril-ranked for how long now?" she muttered as she stamped the Guild Seal on each quest slip.
Sophia: "Whatever. You're cleared. One Kokoroko day pass included. Try not to kill everything. Leave something for the rookies."
He took the stamped quest slips, nodded once, then turned and left.
The market district was already alive with trade.
Vendors shouted prices, waved ribbons, showed off spices, fish, and cookware. Adventurers bartered over equipment. Blacksmiths hammered in rhythm near the forge alley. Music drifted faintly from a bard on the corner, drowned occasionally by someone yelling about onion prices.
Red moved with purpose through the stalls, head slightly lowered beneath his hood.
He wasn't known to the public, not by name. His rank was hidden, and few recognized him without the horned insignia. Just another armored man passing through.
He stopped at a food vendor.
"Dried meat," he said.
The merchant, a stocky beastfolk with braided ears, nodded. "Boar, venison, or sea-lizard?"
Red: "Venison. Two weeks' worth."
A pouch of bronze coins changed hands. The merchant wrapped the meat in salted wax paper and handed it over.
Red moved to the spice vendor next.
"Soulroot, shadow pepper, river salt," he said.
The spice woman, a retired adventurer by the look of her scars, nodded without a word, measuring out small bundles of the requested herbs. When she reached for the salt, she paused. "Cooking for one?"
He didn't answer. She didn't ask again.
He made four more stops: one for roasted coffee beans, one for sugar cubes, one for travel bread, and finally, a potion stall. He bought only the basics, two red, one orange. No mana, no buffs. Just what was needed for goblin work.
By the time he finished, his satchel was full but balanced. Efficient. Nothing more than necessary.
The eastern gate of Silverhaven stood wide open.
Beyond it, the open road awaited, dirt-packed and lined with scattered trees. The wind carried the scent of damp earth and something faintly wild.
To the right of the gate stood a small stable. A wooden sign creaked in the wind, marked with a chalk drawing of a Kokoroko, a large, birdlike mount with clawed feet, long necks, and feathery tails. Swift, obedient, good for rough terrain.
The stable master, an older man with hay in his beard, recognized Red immediately.
"Same one as usual?"
Red nodded.
A moment later, a gray-plumed Kokoroko stepped forward from the pen, already saddled. It tilted its head and gave a short grunt as Red approached, but didn't resist when he climbed on.
The stable master tossed him a day-pass token. "Don't push him too hard this time. They get tired, even if you don't."
Red didn't respond. He adjusted his satchel, sheathed his sword resting comfortably against the saddle's side strap, and gave the mount a soft nudge with his heel.
The Kokoroko sprinted forward, talons digging into the dirt with powerful strides.
He didn't need to rush.
But goblins were different.
They weren't strong. They weren't clever. But they were dangerous. Not because of what they were, but because of how easily people underestimated them. Villagers. Rookies. Merchants.
One distracted hour, and a goblin raid could burn a harvest field. A night unguarded, and a child disappeared. They moved in packs. Hide in holes. Fought dirty.
And Red had seen what happened when they were ignored.
So he rode.
Swift, but steady. Focused.
The villages lay ahead.
And Red hunted alone.