The city awoke wrapped in restrained movement, as if everyone walked with excessive care not to break something invisible. Vaillor was never silent, but that morning the sounds seemed more spaced out, more calculated. Even the merchants spoke softly.
I watched from the upper balcony of the mansion, leaning against the stone railing. The victory in the tournament still echoed through the alleys and taverns, but now it came accompanied by something strange. Respect mixed with caution. Admiration tempered with fear.
"They're looking at us differently."
Liriel appeared beside me, holding a cup of hot tea. The steam rose slowly, dissolving into the cold air.
"It's not just curiosity," I replied. "It's evaluation."
She nodded. "When someone grows too fast, others start measuring how far he can fall."
We went down together to the main hall. Elara was already seated at the table, spreading documents and improvised maps. Vespera remained leaning against the wall, arms crossed, attentive expression.
"Reports arrived this morning," Elara said without looking up. "Three smaller guilds refused to attend the next general assembly."
"That's not common," Vespera commented.
"No," Elara confirmed. "And all of them operate near the borders."
I sat down. "Borders with whom?"
"Elves, demi-humans… and neutral areas."
Silence settled in.
"Scarlet hasn't returned yet?" I asked.
"No," Liriel replied. "She left early. Said she needed to handle something on her own."
That did not reassure me.
We decided to go to the guild. We needed to hear directly what was happening, without filters. On the way, I noticed something subtle yet constant. People stopped to watch. Some bowed their heads in respect. Others simply followed us with their eyes, assessing.
At the entrance of the guild, we found Rai'kanna.
She looked irritated, her tail swaying restlessly.
"Did you come because of the rumors too?" she asked.
"What rumors?" I replied.
"That some guilds are being funded by someone from outside. Someone who doesn't want to show themselves."
That fit perfectly with what Scarlet had mentioned.
Inside the guild, the atmosphere was heavy. The master of Vaillor was talking with representatives of other races. When he saw us, he gestured for us to approach.
"Takumi," he said in a serious tone. "We need your opinion."
I crossed my arms. "About what?"
"About balance." He took a deep breath. "Since the tournament, Vaillor has become the center of attention. Some see this as leadership. Others, as a threat."
"And what do you expect me to do?" I asked.
"That you observe. That you listen. And that you don't act alone."
It was a request disguised as a warning.
While we were talking, a strong presence crossed the hall. Scarlet had arrived.
She didn't say anything at first. She simply walked toward us, expression closed.
"I confirmed it," she finally said. "There is an intermediary group. They don't fight, they don't expose themselves. They only finance conflicts."
"The objective?" I asked.
"Instability," she replied. "The more chaos, the more indirect power."
The guild master clenched his fists. "This is too dangerous to ignore."
"And too dangerous to attack without proof," Scarlet retorted.
The meeting went on for hours. No definitive decision was made. Only consensus on one thing. Nothing was as safe as it seemed after the tournament.
When we left, the sky was already beginning to darken.
I walked alone through a stretch of the city before returning. I needed to think. I needed to organize my mind.
A child ran past me, laughing, holding a wooden toy shaped like a sword. Her laughter echoed through the alley and, for a moment, everything felt simple again.
But it didn't last.
Upon returning to the mansion, I found Scarlet waiting in the garden.
"You're being pulled into something bigger than you imagine," she said bluntly.
"I know."
"And yet you keep going."
"Because stopping now wouldn't prevent this." I took a deep breath. "It would only leave me unprepared."
She watched me for a few seconds. "That's why you're dangerous."
"To whom?"
"To those who like to control things."
She walked away soon after, leaving her words hanging in the air.
That night, I gathered the group. Not to plan battles, but to align expectations. We talked about fears, limits, and choices. There were no heroic promises. Only honesty.
Before sleeping, lying in the silent darkness of the room, I understood something with uncomfortable clarity.
The greatest threat was not coming from outside.
It was in the fragile alliances, the hidden ambitions, and in the way the world was beginning to see us.
And this time, there would be no obvious enemy to defeat.