The room quieted.
Even Lyra, usually unfazed, shifted slightly beside Inigo. Termination quests were no small matter. A-rank meant real danger—intelligent enemies, complex terrain, unpredictable outcomes. The kind that could kill you even if you did everything right.
Thorne pulled a parchment scroll from his desk and rolled it out flat. Inked lines revealed a rough map of southeastern Elandra, near the edge of the known wetlands.
"About two days on foot," he said. "But with your… contraption, you'll make it there by sundown."
Inigo leaned over to study the map. "What's the target?"
"The marshes were once a neutral territory. Controlled by a small Lizardman tribe—aggressive but not hostile. However, three weeks ago, we received reports of abductions. Hunters and traders dragged beneath the water. Cattle mutilated. The usual signs."
He tapped a black circle on the map. "Then this showed up. Naga."
Lyra's brow furrowed. "Spellcasters?"
