As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the village of Valeridge, Chief Corben Ironhand prepared for his departure. He left word with the villagers to spare no expense, to celebrate their victory with a feast that night. He even authorized the opening of two barrels of the village's prized fruit wine. With a final, respectful nod to Kaelus, the chief set off towards the direction of the House of Aurumglow.
The night soon erupted in celebration. A massive bonfire was lit in the center of the village square, casting a warm, flickering light over the dancing villagers. The Verdant Vandals joined in the festivities, their earlier exhaustion replaced by a shared sense of relief and joy.
Kaelus sat by the bonfire, a plate of grilled boar in one hand, watching the dancing with a content smile. He had company: Faelar Moonwhisper, the elven archer, and Gron Stonebeard, the dwarven party leader. The rest of their party were dancing and laughing with the villagers. Faelar, her face flushed from the fruit wine, was quite drunk. She leaned in, pressing her chest against Kaelus, her words slightly jumbled.
"I still can't believe it," she slurred. "How... how did you do it? The way you took out the orcs one by one. I've never seen a skill like that."
Kaelus blushed deeply at the sudden proximity. "I... I think I barely won," he replied, attempting a humble deflection. He wasn't drinking the wine. Though he was a young dragon, his human body was still that of a teenager, and his mind felt the same. He was, in his own mind, still a minor.
Gron, the dwarf, who was more accustomed to alcohol, was far from drunk. He looked at Kaelus with a serious expression. "I've been thinking about your magic, lad. The way you control wind... it's beyond a 4-star mage. Are you from one of the great noble houses known for their wind element, like House of Zephyrus or House of Galecrest?"
"No, I don't belong to any of those houses. I'm just a commoner," Kaelus replied, before changing the subject. "How is your health, Gron? Is the wound healing properly?"
"Ah, the wound," Gron said, patting his bandaged abdomen. "The pill given to me is too potent, lad. I'm practically back to full strength already. The House of Aurumglow's alchemy technique truly lives up to its name."
"That's good to hear," Kaelus responded.
"Then what is your full name?" Gron pressed again.
"Kaelus Wyndhelm," he replied.
Gron furrowed his brows. "Wyndhelm... I've never heard of a famous noble house with that name. You must be from a very remote region, then," he thought to himself.
The conversation continued until the late hours of the night. After the feast wound down, Kaelus and the adventurers were given houses to stay in. He fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, the sounds of the celebration fading into the background.
The next morning, Kaelus woke to a knock on his door. A young villager stood outside. "Mr. Kaelus, the chief wants to see you. You and the other adventurers are to go to the chief's reception house."
Kaelus nodded, grabbed his gear, and headed toward the chief's house. The surviving members of Verdant Vandals were already there. They were all surprised to find Chief Ironhand standing with a young woman and a knight in full plate armor.
The woman, no older than fifteen, was breathtakingly pure: her skin was like snow, her short black hair framed a delicate face, and her eyes were a shade of vivid, pure blue. Her clothes, though fine, lacked the extravagance one might expect from a baron's daughter, hinting at an inner goodness and lack of vanity.
"Mr. Kaelus, I'd like to introduce you to Lady Erice Aurumglow," the chief announced. "She is a 3-star high-rank alchemist and the daughter of Baron Marcus Aurumglow. She has come here on her father's behalf."
Kaelus greeted the young lady with a polite nod.
"I have heard the stories of what transpired," Lady Erice began, her voice crisp and clear. "First, on behalf of the House of Aurumglow, I want to express our sincerest apologies for the misinformation regarding the quest. We came to offer compensation to Verdant Vandals."
Lady Erice continued, "As for the compensation, the House of Aurumglow will give Verdant Vandals a bottle of 5-star mid-rank mana restoration pills and 100 gold."
Gron's eyes widened. "A bottle? That's ten pills! And a 5-star mid-rank pills at that?, plus the gold? That's far more than the quest reward!"
"It is," Lady Erice said calmly. "But I think it's reasonable. Your party was nearly wiped out because of our misinformation. The truth is, we truly did not expect a Crimson Orc to be among the Red Orcs." She added, "Our scout team insisted that there was no Crimson Orc there when they visited."
Kaelus's mind raced. He asked, "When did the House of Aurumglow post the quest?"
"About three weeks ago," Lady Erice answered. "The quest level was high, so Verdant Vandals were the only ones who accepted it."
Kaelus was intrigued. If the scout's report was truly accurate, one of the Red Orcs must have evolved after the scout confirmed the settlement, or the Crimson Orc was capable of concealing its presence. He immediately dismissed the thought; there was no need to dwell on it now that the orcs were all dead.
"As for Mr. Kaelus's reward for exterminating the Red Orc settlement and killing the Crimson Orc," she said, turning to him, "your reward is one platinum coin and a bottle of 5-star high-rank mana restoration pills."
The sheer value of the reward was staggering. The House of Aurumglow was truly one of the wealthiest noble houses in the continent.
Lady Erice added, "Also, the news spread like wildfire on how you defeated the orcs, and I would like to recruit you to the Aurumglow family."
Kaelus was surprised at first, then immediately and respectfully declined. "Thank you for the offer, Lady Erice. I appreciate the thought, but for some reason, I must decline at this time." He was focused on Mr. Grolnuk's request, believing the artificer might hold a clue about the ancient dragon who had aided his ancestor.
Lady Erice did not push the matter. Instead, she retrieved a small token, intricately carved in precious jade—the Aurumglow Token—and presented it to Kaelus. "I understand. In that case, please accept this token. This is a one-use favor. We will satisfy any request from you, as long as it does not violate the fundamental principles of the Aurumglow Family."
Kaelus was perplexed by the extreme deference. He didn't know why the Aurumglow family was going to such lengths to please him, but he didn't push the question. He accepted the token. "Thank you very much, Lady Erice."
"You are very welcome," her voice soft, with a hint of sadness.
After that, Lady Erice and the knight departed. Chief Ironhand nodded at Kaelus, then escorted Erice out of the village to where their Aurumglow carriage was waiting, and they quickly departed.