The square before the great bulletin board of Black Tortoise City was already crowded by the time the morning bells had finished tolling. Men and women gathered in small clusters, their voices low and eager, eyes darting toward the parchment-covered board at the center. The faint chill of dawn still lingered in the air, but the excitement buzzing through the crowd made it easy to forget the cold.
"What task's posted today?" someone muttered near the front.
"Not sure," came the reply. "Wait for Lady Mirean to read it."
All eyes turned toward the elegant woman standing before the board — Mirean Moon, once a leader in her own right, now the Moon Lord of Black Tortoise City. Her long silver hair caught the sunlight as she lifted her hand, a calm dignity radiating from her that silenced even the rowdiest of voices.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried clearly, polished yet kind.
