After the past few days, I had to admit one thing: staying in Vailor doing nothing was worse than accepting any poorly paid mission. The city had returned to its normal routine, but inside me there was a constant unease, as if something were waiting for the right moment to move. The flame didn't burn strongly, but it was never completely still.
That was why I accepted the mission without arguing.
"Monster hunting in the southern fields. Basic reward." That was it. No strange dungeon, no rumors about demons, no bad dreams. Just simple work. Or at least that was how it seemed.
Vespera complained the moment she read the guild board. "Are you serious? We almost die, find out there's something big moving out there… and now we're going to hunt magical boars?"
"They're stone-tusk boars," Elara corrected, closing the book she had been reading. "And the reward is enough to pay part of the rent."
"Part," Vespera grumbled. "That word haunts me."
Liriel raised her hand with a far-too-calm smile. "Simple missions have their spiritual value too."
I looked at her. "Liriel, the last time you tried to help spiritually, you almost attracted three wrong creatures."
She blinked. "But it all worked out in the end."
"Because we ran," Vespera said. "A lot."
Even so, we set out. The road to the southern fields was peaceful. The sky was clear, the wind light, and for a few minutes I almost managed to forget that there was a Demon General somewhere in the world. Almost.
The fields stretched out in gentle hills, covered in tall grass and ancient stones scattered like broken teeth. That was where the boars appeared, according to the report. Aggressive creatures, but predictable.
Elara took a deep breath as soon as we arrived. "I'll save mana. I'll only use it if things go wrong."
"When do they ever go right?" Vespera asked.
Elara shot her a deadly look. "When you hit."
Vespera opened her mouth to respond, but decided to focus on the bow instead. I smiled without realizing it. That exchange was almost comforting.
The first boar appeared out of nowhere, charging through the grass with a low roar. It was large, covered in irregular stone plates, with curved tusks scraping the ground.
"Okay," Vespera said, drawing the string. "This one's on me."
She released the arrow.
It missed. By a lot.
The arrow struck a rock behind the monster and ricocheted in a completely wrong way.
"That was a test," she said quickly. "For wind."
The boar charged.
I ran forward, drawing my sword. The flame reacted faintly, just enough to warm the blade without drawing too much attention. I struck from the side, dodging the tusks, and felt the impact vibrate through my arm. It was tough, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Elara tried a simple spell, a short discharge. The magic came out weak, unstable, and dissipated in the air.
She clenched her fist. "Damn… mana too low."
"I told you to rest yesterday," I murmured.
"I tried," she replied. "But someone decided to train until late."
I avoided answering.
Liriel raised her staff carefully. "I can help with containment light."
"Liriel, wait—"
Too late.
A circle of light appeared beneath the boar, but instead of containing it, the magic spread outward and lit up half the field.
The boar became furious.
"Congratulations," Vespera shouted while trying to reload. "Now it's glowing and angry."
I took a deep breath and advanced again. I used less force this time, aiming for the joints between the plates. The strike went in. The monster fell with a heavy thud, kicking up dust.
Silence.
Vespera lowered the bow. "See? Totally under control."
Elara crossed her arms. "You missed every arrow."
"Details."
We continued moving through the fields. We found two more boars. One fled after Vespera hit the ground two meters away from it. The other fell after a quick fight, but it made it clear that even on simple missions, the group still had a lot to improve.
We sat on a large rock to rest. Elara looked exhausted, her face pale.
"I hate being out of mana," she said. "I feel useless."
"You're not," I replied without thinking.
She looked at me for a second longer than usual, then looked away. "Still… thanks."
Liriel approached. "I can try a small light reinforcement to ease the fatigue."
"Small," Vespera emphasized.
Liriel made a simple gesture. This time it worked. A soft light enveloped Elara, dissipating some of the fatigue.
"See?" Liriel smiled. "Sometimes I get it right."
"Sometimes," Vespera agreed.
The sun began to set when we finished the mission. We collected the stone tusks as proof and headed back to Vailor. On the way, I noticed something curious: the flame was calm. For the first time in days, truly calm.
Maybe that was what we needed. Not great battles. Not revelations. Just to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
When the city walls appeared on the horizon, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.
Vespera walked ahead, counting imaginary coins. "If we do three more missions like this… maybe we won't starve to death."
"That's the spirit," I said.
Elara laughed softly. "An ordinary day doesn't seem so bad."
Liriel looked up at the sky. "Ordinary days are important too."
I agreed in silence.
But even in that quiet moment, I knew. That was just a pause. Something was approaching. And when it came, simple missions wouldn't be enough.
For now, though, Vailor welcomed us back. And that was enough.