Thiriel took the empty chair without looking away from the other adventurers.
Five people. Four men and one woman. Each one radiated that unmistakable presence that only experienced warriors possessed.
Gold Rank, Thiriel estimated. Perhaps higher.
These were no common adventurers. They were not like Voric's thugs whom he had wrecked in the forest. These were true professionals.
The one closest to him was a middle-aged man with a scar that crossed his face from forehead to jaw. His gray eyes studied him with an intensity that would have intimidated any normal person.
Beside him, a woman with black hair pulled back into a tight braid sharpened a dagger with mechanical movements. She did not look at him directly, but Thiriel noticed how her posture shifted subtly to keep him in her field of vision.
The other three were equally imposing. A bald giant with arms the thickness of tree trunks. A thin man in a mage's robe with a staff leaning against his chair. And finally, a sharp-featured archer fiddling with an arrow between his fingers.
A balanced team, he observed. Front-line warrior, assassin, tank, mage, ranged support. The governor knows what he is doing.
Aldric Vorn cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.
"Now that we are complete, we can begin." His smile was the same as always, wide and seemingly harmless. "First, the most important matter."
He made a gesture and a servant appeared with a tray. Upon it were six leather pouches, each clearly heavy with coins.
"The advance payment, as promised. Three hundred gold coins for each of you."
The pouches were distributed. Thiriel took his without counting it; the weight was correct.
"Now, the details of the expedition." The governor leaned forward, his expression becoming more serious.
"As some of you know, approximately two months ago one of my scouts discovered a hidden cave in the cliffs south of the Veldran River. The symbols at the entrance suggest it belonged to a mage of the ancient era."
The robed mage raised an eyebrow.
"An ancient mage? Are you sure?"
"As sure as I can be without having personally entered." Aldric pulled out a parchment and unfurled it on the table. It was a rudimentary map of the area.
"The scout who found it did not return from his second trip. I sent a team of four Silver Rank adventurers to investigate. They did not return either."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"Any survivors?" the woman with the braid asked.
"None. But we found remains. Enough to confirm that something inside the cave killed them." The governor paused. "That is why I have gathered you. The best adventurers available in Oakhaven and its surroundings."
The scarred man spoke for the first time. His voice was deep, like stones grinding against one another.
"I know everyone here by reputation, like the assassin Kira." He nodded toward the woman. "Gorath, the bald giant. Maren, the lead mage of Oakhaven, and the hunter Vex."
His gaze landed on Thiriel.
"But I don't know this one. A lad. What is he doing here?"
Aldric smiled.
"Ah, Marcus. Always so direct. Allow me to introduce Thiriel. Perhaps you've heard of him. The adventurer who killed the Shadow Alpha three months ago. The one who rose from Bronze to Iron in record time."
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
"I've heard the rumors. I've also heard he is impulsive and has trouble working in a team."
"What you heard," Thiriel interrupted in a calm voice, "likely came from Voric and his group. Considering I broke several of their bones when they tried to ambush me, it doesn't surprise me that they speak ill of me."
The silence that followed was tense.
Marcus studied him for a long moment.
"Killing a Shadow Alpha is impressive," he finally conceded. "But this isn't hunting beasts in the woods. This is exploring an ancient mage's lair. The danger will be on another level entirely."
"I am aware of that."
"Are you?" Marcus leaned forward. "Look around you, lad. Everyone here has survived things that would make you tremble. We have fought monsters you can't even imagine. And you? Are you fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Age does not determine ability."
"Experience does."
The governor raised a hand.
"Gentlemen, please. I assure you I would not have included Thiriel if I did not believe he was qualified. I have personally investigated his record. His skills are... exceptional for someone his age."
Marcus did not look convinced.
"With all due respect, governor, investigations mean nothing on the battlefield." He stood up slowly. "If this boy is going to be part of the team, I need to see what he's capable of."
Thiriel felt the shift in the air.
The tension that had been present since he entered crystallized into something more concrete. Marcus was not simply questioning his presence. He was about to test him.
Interesting, he thought.
The attack came without warning.
One moment Marcus was standing by his chair. The next, his fist was traveling toward Thiriel's face at a speed that would have been impossible for any normal person to follow.
Thiriel only looked at him coldly.
He moved by instinct, tilting his head to the left. The fist passed inches from his cheek, the wind from the blow ruffling his hair.
Marcus did not stop.
He followed up with a low kick aimed at sweeping him off his feet. Thiriel jumped, avoiding the sweep, and used the momentum to push away from the chair. He landed two meters away, his feet finding balance instantly.
Marcus's eyes widened slightly.
"Fast," he admitted. "But that was only a test."
He lunged forward again.
This time the attack was serious. A combination of punches and kicks that flowed one after the other without pause, each movement designed to exploit any opening in his opponent's defense.
It was efficient and brutal. His movements perfected by years of real combat.
And Thiriel matched him blow for blow.
He blocked. He dodged. He countered. His movements were different from Marcus's—less refined in appearance but equally effective.
Thiriel used pure speed.
Where Marcus looked for openings, Thiriel created his own.
The exchange lasted perhaps thirty seconds.
To the observers, it seemed much longer.
Finally, Marcus backed off. His breathing was slightly heavier, but his eyes shone with something that hadn't been there before.
Respect.
"Enough," he said.
Thiriel relaxed his stance but did not lower his guard completely.
"Satisfied?"
Marcus studied him for a moment longer.
"You're not what I expected," he finally admitted. "The way you move isn't that of a novice. It's that of someone who has fought his entire life."
Thiriel did not respond.
"I accept you as part of the team." Marcus returned to his chair. "But if you slow us down in there, I'll leave you behind without hesitation."
"Understood."
The silence that followed was different from the previous one. The other adventurers looked at Thiriel with expressions varying from surprise to curiosity. Even the mage, Maren, had cast aside his disinterested attitude to observe him with curious eyes.
But it was the governor's expression that caught Thiriel's attention.
Aldric was smiling.
Not with the superficial politician's smile he had shown until now. This one was different. Deeper. More satisfied.
As if he had just confirmed something he suspected.
What do you know?, Thiriel thought. What are you hiding?
The governor clapped softly.
"Wonderful. Now that we have settled that little matter, let us continue with the details."
The rest of the meeting passed without further incident.
Aldric explained the route to the cliffs, approximately a two-day journey south. He described the little they knew about the cave: an entrance hidden behind a waterfall, tunnels that delved into the rock, and the unknown traps that had presumably killed the previous adventurers.
"You will depart in one week," he concluded. "I expect you to use that time to prepare adequately. And to get to know one another. Teamwork will be essential."
One by one, the adventurers filed out of the room.
Thiriel was the last.
As he crossed the doorway, he felt the governor's gaze pinned to his back. He resisted the urge to turn around.
He went down the stairs and out of the guild into the streets of Oakhaven.
The afternoon sun bathed the cobblestones in golden light.
Thiriel walked toward the inn, his mind processing everything that had occurred.
The fight with Marcus had been revealing. Not because of the difficulty, but because of what it had proven. A month of intensive training had yielded results.
He could now match a high-ranking adventurer without using the magic warrior aura.
That was progress.
But what truly occupied his thoughts was something else.
The governor's gaze.
That smile that had appeared when Thiriel demonstrated his skills. That expression of satisfaction that made no sense if Aldric simply wanted the expedition to succeed.
He was evaluating me, he realized. He wanted to see what I am capable of.
Why?
What did the governor gain by knowing exactly how strong Thiriel was?
The answers did not come.
Only more questions.
One week, he thought as the inn came into view. I have one week to prepare.
For the cave.
For the traps.
And for whatever the governor was planning.
Because he was sure of one thing: Aldric Vorn had a hidden agenda.