Chapter 108: The Inquisition and the Invitation
The Guild Master's inner sanctum was not what I expected. It was less an opulent office and more a war room designed by a scholar. One wall was dominated by a massive, detailed map of the region, marked with colored pins and fine, inked notations. Another was floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, but these held not just leather-bound tomes, but also labeled specimen jars, intricate clockwork devices, and carefully preserved monster parts. A large, scarred table of dark oak dominated the center, its surface clear save for a single, thick dossier.
Guild Master Valerius took his place at the head of the table. City Lord Boromir stood like a sentinel near the map, his massive arms crossed. The Duchess, Helena, settled into a chair to Valerius's right with the elegant poise of a cat claiming its favorite sunbeam. The twins, Lashley and Neralia, positioned themselves stiffly behind her, their expressions a mixture of boredom and disdain. Freya took a post by the door, a silent, silver-clad guardian.
I was left standing before the table, feeling like a specimen under one of the Master's jars.
"Adventurer Kaizen," Valerius began, steepling his long fingers. His pale eyes were unnervingly direct. "You were the recipient of a guild-sanctioned escort contract, C-Rank, for merchant Laron to the city of Silveridge. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir." Keep it simple. Respectful.
"The contract concluded with the safe delivery of the merchant to his client, Patron Evander. Yet, you returned to Torak several days late, and the Patron in question is now deceased in what has been reported as a 'violent business dispute.' You were present for this dispute."
It wasn't a question. "I was."
"Your contract was for escort to and from Silveridge. Not for involvement in Patron-level business negotiations, nor for security within the Serpent's Coil, an establishment whose… recreational activities fall well outside guild purview." His tone was neutral, but the implication was clear: You strayed from your lane.
"With respect, Guild Master," I said, choosing my words carefully. "The initial meeting with Patron Evander was business. He was Laron's client. I was there as part of the merchant's security detail. The discussions extended into a partnership proposal. My role evolved, but it was still, at its core, about protecting my principal's interests during a business deal." A slight stretch, but not a lie.
Lashley snorted softly. Valerius's gaze didn't waver from me.
"And how did this 'business deal' lead to a massacre in a private corridor of the Coil?"
Here we go. I gave them the broad strokes, sticking to what they likely already knew or could verify. I left out the specifics of the Dragon Ball project, calling it a "new entertainment venture." I described Silas Vane's arrival, his clear displeasure, the terrifying presence of his enforcer, Jax. Their kidnapping of Laron and Briza and my failed rescue and how Evander instead came in to save us. I detailed Evander's clever, desperate feint with the earth wall, my own role as a distraction and a blunt instrument.
"The Patron landed a significant blow on the enforcer, Jax," I said, the memory of the lance of fire striking true vivid in my mind. "He was wounded. It was a moment of… potential victory."
Valerius's eyes sharpened. "And then?"
I didn't want to say it. Saying it made it real again in this quiet, powerful room. "And then Silas Vane moved. I've never seen anything that fast. He was behind Evander before any of us could blink. He severed the Patron's head with a single cut."
A heavy silence descended. The Duchess's flawless face remained serene, but her summer-sky eyes were intent. Boromir's jaw tightened. Even the twins looked momentarily sobered.
"You witnessed this personally," Valerius stated.
"I saw the result. I saw Silas standing there, and Evander… falling." I kept my voice flat, dead. "After that, it was chaos. I created a diversion to allow myself, the merchant Laron, his assistant slash bodyguard Briza, and the artist Elara to escape. We returned to Torak by indirect routes."
"You engaged a known, highly dangerous criminal and his top enforcer, witnessed a murder, and fled," Neralia said, her voice dripping with contempt. "It sounds less like 'evolving security' and more like stumbling into a hornet's nest and then running away."
I turned my head slowly to look at her. "Would you have preferred I stayed for tea? The enforcer, Jax, took a concentrated fire-lance to a weak point in his mystical armor and got up with a hole in his back. Silas Vane moved faster than thought. My options were 'create chaos and run' or 'die.' I chose the one that lets me stand here and be insulted by you."
Her face flushed. Lashley took a half-step forward. "You dare…"
"Enough," Valerius said. The single word cut through the room like a blade. His gaze hadn't left me. He was weighing my story, my demeanor, every micro-expression. "Your account aligns with the physical evidence recovered from the scene and the… limited information we have on Silas Vane's capabilities. You acted with survival in mind, and in doing so, preserved the lives of your principal and his associates. Pragmatic, if not heroic."
It wasn't praise. It was an assessment. One that, miraculously, didn't seem to be condemning me.
"However," he continued, "your actions have consequences. You have made a powerful enemy. Silas Vane does not forgive slights, and you are a living witness to his crime. He will seek to eliminate you."
"I'm aware," I said dryly.
"Your presence in Torak is now a complication. Your survival is now tied to the city's stability. We cannot have a known associate of a murdered Patron, and a target of its underworld, running loose causing further… disturbances."
This was it. The hammer. Banishment? Imprisonment? Forced enlistment in some suicidal frontier legion?
Then, the Duchess spoke.
Her voice was a melody, cool and clear, yet it held an undeniable weight of command. "Guild Master, if I may?" She didn't wait for permission. Her sky-blue eyes turned to me. "Adventurer Kaizen. While your recent exploits are… dramatic, they are not your only notable actions. Dame Freya has given her report on the defense of Torak."
Freya, by the door, stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"She credits you with a pivotal role in her survival during the Beast Tamer's assault," the Duchess continued. "A selfless, and reportedly quite reckless, intervention that absorbed a lethal spell meant for her. She has stated, unequivocally, that she would not be alive without your actions."
All eyes shifted to Freya. Her face was a stoic mask, but a faint pink tinged the tips of her ears. She gave a single, sharp nod of confirmation.
"Dame Freya is not one to offer trust or praise lightly," the Duchess said, a faint, approving smile touching her lips. "The fact that she does so in your case is significant. It suggests qualities beyond mere pragmatism. It suggests a capacity for loyalty, and for protecting those one is… connected to."
The way she said "connected to" was laden with unspoken meaning, and Freya's blush deepened.
"This presents us with an opportunity," the Duchess said, turning her mesmerizing gaze back to me. "We have a problem that requires discretion, resilience, and a certain… deniable nature. You are an adventurer with a proven, if unorthodox, skill set. You are also a man who currently needs powerful friends, and a purpose that keeps him moving, and valuable, away from Silas Vane's immediate reach."
My heart began to thump a slow, heavy rhythm. This was the pivot. The world-aligning moment.
"We have a special quest for you, Kaizen," the Duchess said, her voice dropping slightly, drawing me in. "One of great importance to the Crown, and to the stability of this region. It involves the retrieval of a rare and powerful artifact. Its location is perilous, and the politics surrounding it are… delicate. We need someone who can operate with minimal oversight, who can handle unexpected threats, and who understands the value of silence."
As the last word left her lips, the world in my peripheral vision shimmered. The air in the room seemed to thicken for just me.
A blue box, solid and commanding, appeared in the center of my sight, overlaying the Duchess's beautiful, serious face.
***---***
[MISSION 3: THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE]
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Retrieve the Philosopher's Stone and absorb its energy to increase your Ki reserves.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:Learn a martial art that fits your type of fighting.
MISSION DURATION: 320 HOURS (10 Days) UPON ACCEPTANCE
REWARDS: [UNKNOWN]
FAILURE:[DEATH]
---
[START MISSION]
[DELAY (16 HOURS)]
---
***----***
There it was. The prompt. The trigger. The clock, poised to start. The Duchess's "special quest" was the System's Mission 3. The Philosopher's Stone. The artifact of "great importance."
The Duchess was still speaking, her words flowing into the space left by the System' stark notification. "…The artifact is known as the Philosopher's Stone. It is not merely a legend. Its location has recently been pinpointed, but the site is dangerous, warded by ancient magic and… other guardians. Success would not only serve the kingdom but would, of course, come with a royal reward substantial enough to make concerns like Silas Vane… manageable."
She leaned forward slightly, and the motion was hypnotic. "This is your chance, Adventurer Kaizen. To turn your notoriety into service. To gain powerful allies. To achieve something of true significance. Will you accept this quest?"
Two glowing options hung in my vision. [START MISSION] pulsed gently. The 320-hour countdown was a guillotine blade held by a thread. Ten days to find and claim a myth, while also somehow completing my training with a perverted tea-drinking sensei.
I looked from the Duchess's expectant, stunning face, to Valerius's assessing gaze, to Boromir's impassive bulk, to the twins' jealous scowls, and finally to Freya, standing rigid by the door. Her eyes met mine. There was no plea there, only a hard, unflinacing acknowledgement of the choice being placed before me.
The System had woven its mission into the tapestry of royal politics and my own desperate circumstances. There was no running from it.
I took a breath, the weight of the room, the mission, and the impending countdown settling onto my shoulders.
"Tell me more about this Stone," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "And what, exactly, 'other guardians' means."
The mission hadn't started yet. I had a few more seconds of freedom. But the path was chosen. The storm was no longer on the horizon. I was about to walk directly into its eye.