If this were any other story, they would've been the protagonists.
A shining band of four trudged down the dirt road that led to Wesk Territory — their silhouettes dramatic against the golden afternoon sun. Dust swirled at their boots, fluttering cloaks catching wind like banners of destiny.
A scared priest, a clean-freak warrior, a tsundere berserker, and an emo alchemist.
The kind of group you'd see on a game cover.
The kind of group the gods would bless.
The kind of group that — if this were an original series — would probably save the world by chapter twenty.
But this wasn't that kind of story.
This was a fanfic.
And this world already had its focus — a confused, broke lord named Issac and his flame-obsessed knight.
Still, the four of them looked the part.
The Not-Quite-Main Cast included of,
Aeden, the priest, walked up front, nervously clutching his staff like it was a shield against reality. His pale hair stuck to his forehead from sweat, and his every step screamed hesitant protagonist who'd rather be home reading scriptures.
"W-We're almost there, right? Th-The Wesk place?" he asked, voice trembling like someone who'd just seen their own HP bar drop to 10%.
Behind him, Garan, the warrior, scowled as he scrubbed the edge of his polished armor with a rag mid-walk.
"Almost. Stop stuttering, Aeden. You sound like you're about to confess your sins to the grass."
"W-Well, maybe I am! You've seen this road, haven't you? It's muddy! I hate mud!"
"Then don't fall."
Behind them both, Rhea, the tsundere berserker, stomped loudly, hands on her hips, crimson hair bouncing like a flame that refused to behave.
"Can we please not argue again? You two sound like an old couple!"
"You're one to talk," Garan muttered, "last night you punched my helmet because I sneezed."
"I-I thought you were attacking!"
"You were asleep."
"I have combat reflexes!"
The last one in the group, Vale, trudged several feet behind. His long black hair covered half his face, dark circles under his eyes, flask in hand.
He sighed. Loudly.
"You're all exhausting. If the next village doesn't have nightshade or peacebloom ingredients, I'm setting fire to the map."
"You're the one who made the map!" Rhea yelled.
He shrugged. "Then it'll burn evenly."
The group fell quiet for a moment — partly because of Vale's ominous tone, partly because they were reaching Wesk's outskirts.
Wesk had once been a place adventurers avoided. A territory half-swallowed by beast attacks, debt, and despair. Most guilds listed it as a "temporary recovery zone," meaning: don't go unless you want to die for cheap pay.
But now…
It looked different.
The dirt path was clear of overgrowth. The wooden walls stood taller, reinforced by gray stone blocks. A faint scent of cooked bread and clean water lingered in the air — rare luxuries in the outer territories.
The priest blinked.
"This… this is Wesk?"
"Did they rebuild?" Garan asked, wiping imaginary dust from his vambrace.
Rhea crossed her arms, suspicious. "Something's off. It's too clean. It's like… someone actually gave a damn about this place."
Vale sniffed the air. "You can smell organization. I hate it."
"...You hate everything," Garan muttered.
As they approached the main gate, they saw them — three knights in mismatched gray armor sitting on overturned barrels, holding cards.
And arguing like children.
Knight #1 slammed down a card dramatically. "UNO!"
Knight #2 looked up from his hand. "What?"
Knight #3 tilted his helmet. "Uno? Bro, we're playing Poker."
Knight #1 blinked. "Then why are there four colors?"
Knight #3 puffed up proudly. "Spades, Hearts, Jacks, and whatever the other one is!"
Knight #1 and #2 just… stared.
"Those are symbols," #1 said slowly, "and they aren't even on these cards!"
"...Wait," #2 said, holding one up, "why does this card say 'Draw Four?'"
"Because it's Uno," #1 groaned. "I told you."
Knight #3 threw his hands up. "Then why am I losing money!?"
The adventuring party stood there silently.
Aeden whispered, "Are they… knights?"
"Supposedly," Vale muttered. "Looks like budget soldiers from a comedic spin-off."
Rhea smirked. "I like them already."
Then, one of the knights noticed them.
"Oh! Travelers! Welcome to Wesk Territory!"
The Warrior stepped forward. "You all part of the new order? Didn't know the kid had money left."
The knights puffed their chests proudly.
"Of course! All hundred of us, plus Lady Flare, are loyal to Lord Issac!"
That name made the priest blink. "...Wait. Lord Issac?"
"Yeah!" Knight #1 said, shuffling his cards proudly. "Best boss ever! Pays us on time, lets us nap, and gave us water purification arrays!"
Knight #2 nodded. "And fruit breaks."
Knight #3 whispered, "And Uno nights."
The adventurers exchanged a look.
Garan crossed his arms. "When did that guy get all that money?"
Vale raised a brow. "When did he get this many people?"
Before they could dwell on it, the first knight leaned forward, hand outstretched.
"Three copper each for entry!"
Aeden blinked. "O-Oh! Th-That's cheap!" He fumbled a silver coin. "Here, for the four of us."
The knight looked at the coin, eyes wide. "Whoa. That's, like… five entries."
"Then… k-keep the change?"
The knights saluted. "Of course! Welcome, friends!"
As the group passed through the gates, their chatter faded into stunned silence.
The streets weren't muddy slums anymore. Cobblestones were laid — unevenly, but laid.
Knights carried crates of wood and stone. Children laughed, running between them. Some women sold bread, fruit, and little bottles of herbal tonics. A melody of clinking hammers and laughter echoed through the air.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was alive.
"...It's different," Aeden said softly. "So different."
Rhea nodded, hands on her hips. "Last time we were here, the well was full of frogs."
Garan muttered, "I still have nightmares about that smell."
Vale frowned slightly. "Progress annoys me. But I'll admit, it's… functional."
They stopped by the large noticeboard near the main square. Dozens of papers fluttered in the wind — handwritten notes, sketches, even little drawings done by children.
Many of them weren't even real "quests."
"'Help me fix my roof, please' — signed, Old Marta," Aeden read aloud.
"'Looking for a knight to guard the bakery at night,'" Rhea said, amused. "These aren't contracts. They're favors."
At the bottom corner was a sign stamped with Issac's mark.
> NOTICE: For one week only, all residents may request knightly assistance for free!
Signed, Lord Issac Wesk.
The priest blinked. "H-He's letting people ask for free help? That's… generous."
Vale scoffed. "Or idiotic. Depends on the budget."
Garan rubbed his chin. "Maybe both. But look around — people are actually smiling. Haven't seen that in Wesk for… ever."
They kept reading until Rhea spotted a parchment with the familiar seal of a rose encircling a sword — Melissa's crest.
> Quest: Copper-Tier Beast Subjugation — 5 Silver
Requestor: Melissa Vareen
Location: Eastern Forest perimeter
Rhea grinned. "Now this looks like something worth our time."
Aeden paled. "Melissa? T-The Lady of the Flame Bastion Melissa?"
"Yep," Garan said. "We've met her before. Scary woman, but her pay's always good."
"She also thanked us for every visit," Aeden said shyly. "A-And sometimes gave free potions."
"Then it's settled," Vale said dryly, slipping the paper into his coat. "We'll take it before someone else does."
The Eastern Gate was less grand than the others, but it had a quiet pride to it — wooden beams replaced with reinforced stone, engraved with fresh runes of protection.
Beyond it, the forest line stretched, familiar yet different.
No smoke trails. No lurking beasts.
Only silence.
"This area used to have Copper Beasts wandering just beyond that ridge," Garan said. "Now… nothing."
Aeden looked uneasy. "You don't think they were all slain, do you?"
"Maybe," Rhea said, scanning the horizon. "Or scared away."
Vale crouched, touching the dirt. It was warm, faintly humming with residual mana — the kind that came from purification magic.
"No corruption in the soil," he murmured. "Someone's been cleansing this land."
Garan exhaled slowly. "Guess that 'kid lord' really did something right."
Rhea smiled faintly. "Huh. Maybe we misjudged him."
The priest clasped his hands together, eyes soft. "Maybe… the Wesk Territory is finally healing."
For a moment, none of them spoke.
The wind was gentle, carrying the scent of blooming wildflowers — something that hadn't grown here in years.
Aeden smiled nervously. "T-This might actually be… good."
"Good for him," Vale said quietly, standing. "Bad for us. Less monsters means less money."
Rhea punched his shoulder lightly. "Can't you just once be happy about something?"
He glanced sideways. "I'd need chemicals for that."
The group started walking toward the treeline, their silhouettes framed by the golden sunset.
Aeden's staff tapped rhythmically against the dirt.
Garan hummed a battle tune.
Rhea laughed softly at some joke no one else heard.
Vale muttered under his breath, scribbling formula notes.
They looked like a real main cast again.
But this wasn't their story.
And somewhere, far behind them, within the growing heart of Wesk Castle, Issac sneezed into his towel, unaware that four side-characters had just admitted his success out loud.