Chapter 168: The Guild’s First Quest
Galahad Charney arrived before midnight.
He did not come alone.
Three of the adventurers who had recently arrived in Blackwood accompanied him.
None of them wore matching armor.
One carried a bow.
Another had a sword and shield.
The third carried a short spear.
They looked tired from helping with construction all day, but the moment they saw the displaced families gathered around the western checkpoint, their expressions changed.
Galahad walked directly toward Kael.
You said there was monster activity.
Kael nodded.
Four attacks on a village west of Blackwood. Livestock disappeared first. Then people.
Survivors?
Thirty-nine made it here.
Galahad looked toward the families.
That’s not what I meant.
Kael understood.
You think people might still be inside the village.
Possibly.
Galahad’s expression became serious.
People fleeing monster attacks don’t always leave together. Some hide. Some get separated. Some are injured and can’t travel.
Darius stood nearby with several Black Dragon soldiers.
Then we treat this as a rescue operation until proven otherwise.
Galahad nodded.
Exactly.
Kael looked toward him.
Can you identify the monster from what the villagers saw?
Not without speaking to them.
Then let’s start there.
The elderly man who had spoken with Kael earlier sat beside a small fire.
A young woman wrapped a bandage around his forearm.
Galahad crouched across from him.
I’m going to ask you several questions.
The man nodded.
How large were they?
I don’t know.
You saw them?
Only shadows.
Galahad didn’t look frustrated.
Instead, he continued.
How did they attack?
At night.
Always?
Yes.
What happened to the livestock?
Gone.
Bodies?
Some.
Galahad’s eyes narrowed.
Some?
The man nodded.
We found two goats torn apart.
The others disappeared.
People?
Some disappeared too.
Any bodies?
One.
Galahad looked toward Kael.
Kael noticed the change immediately.
What?
Galahad returned his attention to the survivor.
The body you found. What condition was it in?
The man’s face became pale.
There were wounds around the neck.
Claws?
I don’t know.
Bite marks?
Maybe.
Galahad stood.
Kael followed him away from the fire.
You have an idea.
Several.
None I like.
Darius joined them.
Explain.
Galahad folded his arms.
A normal predator kills for food.
Livestock disappearing makes sense.
People disappearing could also make sense.
But repeated attacks on the same village are different.
Intelligent?
Possibly.
Or territorial.
Kael looked west.
Could it be a pack?
Most likely.
Galahad looked toward the darkness beyond the checkpoint.
Whatever it is, I don’t recommend entering unfamiliar territory at night.
Kael nodded.
We leave at sunrise.
Galahad looked at him.
We?
Yes.
Darius immediately spoke.
Kael.
Kael turned.
Don’t start.
I’m absolutely going to start.
Darius stepped closer.
You’re the lord of Blackwood.
Exactly.
Which means you don’t personally investigate every monster report.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
I investigated ruins.
That doesn’t help your argument.
Galahad looked between them.
This happens often?
Constantly.
Darius answered without hesitation.
Kael ignored him.
This is the guild’s first operation.
Which is exactly why you shouldn’t interfere.
Kael looked toward Galahad.
Interfere?
Galahad remained calm.
You appointed me to establish an Adventure Guild.
Yes.
Then let me establish it.
Kael became silent.
Galahad continued.
If every important quest requires Prince Kael and the Black Dragon, then you haven’t created an Adventure Guild.
You’ve created another way of giving yourself work.
Darius smiled.
I like him.
Kael stared at both men.
You’re becoming irritating.
I’ve been telling you that for years.
Darius replied.
Galahad continued.
Let adventurers investigate.
Black Dragon soldiers can secure the border.
If we discover something beyond our ability, then we request military support.
Kael considered it.
He didn’t like staying behind.
But Galahad was right.
The entire purpose of the guild was to create an organization capable of handling problems without using Blackwood’s military for everything.
Kael finally nodded.
Fine.
Darius looked genuinely surprised.
That worked?
Don’t make me change my mind.
Galahad spent the next hour selecting his team.
He chose four people.
Not because they were the strongest available.
Because their abilities made sense.
The archer could track.
The shield bearer provided defense.
The spearman had experience fighting beasts.
The fourth was Galahad himself.
Grom arrived shortly afterward.
The goblin looked toward the adventurers.
These are the ones going?
Galahad nodded.
Grom frowned.
They’re weak.
The shield bearer immediately looked offended.
Galahad simply shrugged.
Compared to you?
Yes.
Compared to the average monster?
We’ll find out.
Grom grinned.
I like him too.
Kael sighed.
Apparently everyone did.
Morning arrived beneath a gray sky.
The western gate opened.
Galahad and his three companions prepared to leave.
Kael stood beside Darius.
Grom remained nearby with six Black Dragon soldiers.
Kael had compromised.
The Black Dragon would not accompany the adventurers into the village.
But Grom’s team would remain within signaling distance.
If Galahad needed help, they would respond.
Kael looked toward Galahad.
Report before engaging anything dangerous.
Galahad nodded.
Understood.
This is reconnaissance first.
Correct.
Rescue second.
Correct.
Combat only if necessary.
Galahad smiled.
You really don’t like staying behind.
Kael stared at him.
Go.
Galahad laughed and turned toward the road.
The four adventurers disappeared west.
Kael returned to the temporary administrative building.
He lasted twelve minutes.
Then he stood again.
Darius looked up from a report.
Sit.
I’m sitting.
You are standing.
Kael looked down.
He sat again.
Darius returned to his report.
Kael tapped his fingers against the table.
Darius.
No.
I didn’t ask anything.
You’re about to.
Kael frowned.
The System appeared.
Adventure Guild Quest Active
Quest
Investigate the Abandoned Village
Assigned Team
Galahad Charney
Three Provisional Adventurers
Status
In Progress
Kael stared at the display.
There was no map.
No live information.
No convenient explanation of what Galahad was seeing.
Kael frowned.
That’s useless.
Darius looked up.
What is?
Nothing.
Kael remembered another System ability.
The Azure Scout Bird.
His Imperial Spy Network function had allowed him to create temporary mana constructs for reconnaissance.
Range.
Five kilometers.
Duration.
Six hours.
No combat capability.
Observation only.
Kael slowly smiled.
Darius immediately narrowed his eyes.
What are you doing?
Nothing.
That smile means something.
Kael stood.
I need some air.
Kael.
I’ll be outside.
Darius sighed and followed him.
Kael walked toward the western edge of Blackwood.
He stopped once he had enough distance from the settlement.
Then he focused.
Mana gathered above his palm.
Blue light condensed.
Wings formed.
A tiny Azure Scout Bird appeared.
It landed on Kael’s hand.
Darius stared at it.
You’re spying on them.
Observing.
That’s spying.
Reconnaissance.
Darius crossed his arms.
You’re impossible.
Kael ignored him.
Fly.
The bird launched into the air.
Kael closed his eyes.
His vision shifted.
For a moment, he saw Blackwood from above.
Roads.
Fields.
Construction sites.
The unfinished guild.
Then the bird flew west.
Kael guided it carefully.
He couldn’t send it too far.
Five kilometers.
That limitation mattered.
Fortunately, the abandoned village was near enough to the western border that he could cover most of the distance.
The bird flew over trees.
Then fields.
Then damaged farmland.
Kael’s expression changed.
There.
The village.
Something was wrong.
No smoke rose from the chimneys.
No livestock moved in the fields.
Several doors stood open.
A wagon lay overturned beside the road.
Kael guided the bird lower.
He saw blood.
Not much.
But enough.
Then movement.
Galahad.
The four adventurers had reached the village.
Kael watched from above.
They moved carefully.
The archer examined tracks.
Galahad entered the first house.
Nothing.
Second.
Nothing.
Third.
The shield bearer suddenly stopped.
A hand.
Someone was beneath a collapsed table.
Galahad rushed forward.
They pulled an injured man free.
Alive.
Kael opened his eyes.
Survivor.
Darius looked toward him.
They found someone?
Yes.
Kael closed his eyes again.
The bird continued watching.
Galahad gave the survivor water.
The man appeared barely conscious.
Then the archer noticed something.
Tracks.
Many tracks.
They led away from the village.
Toward the forest.
Galahad followed them several meters.
Then stopped.
He crouched.
Touched the ground.
Even through the Scout Bird, Kael could tell something had changed.
Galahad immediately signaled the others to retreat.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Why?
Then he saw it.
Something moved between the trees.
Fast.
Too fast.
The archer turned.
A black shape slammed into him.
He disappeared from Kael’s view.
Kael’s eyes snapped open.
Darius was already standing.
What happened?
Contact.
What kind?
I don’t know.
Kael turned toward Grom.
The goblin had been waiting nearby.
Grom.
The Spear King stood immediately.
Finally.
Take your team.
Grom grinned.
With pleasure.
Kael grabbed his sword.
Darius stepped in front of him.
No.
Kael stared at him.
Move.
You agreed to let the guild handle this.
They made contact.
And they have military support available.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
Darius continued.
Trust the people you appointed.
That sentence stopped him.
Kael looked west.
Grom and six Black Dragon soldiers were already riding.
Kael wanted to follow.
Every instinct told him to.
But Galahad’s words returned.
If every important quest required Prince Kael and the Black Dragon, then he hadn’t created a guild.
Kael slowly lowered his hand from his sword.
Fine.
Darius nodded.
Kael pointed at him.
But if this gets worse—
Then we go.
Darius answered immediately.
Kael accepted that.
Back at the village, Galahad drew his sword.
The creature that had attacked the archer stood in the road.
It was shaped vaguely like a wolf.
But far too large.
Its shoulders reached the height of a man’s chest.
Black fur covered its body.
Its front legs were unusually long.
Its mouth opened wider than any wolf’s should.
The archer rolled across the ground.
Alive.
His leather armor had been torn across the shoulder.
Galahad stepped between him and the creature.
The shield bearer moved beside him.
The spearman circled.
Then another growl came from the forest.
Then another.
Then another.
Galahad’s expression darkened.
Not one.
A pack.
Five shapes emerged from the trees.
Then seven.
Then nine.
The injured survivor suddenly grabbed Galahad’s cloak.
Not wolves.
Galahad looked down.
The man’s eyes were filled with terror.
They take people.
Galahad looked toward the forest.
Take them where?
The survivor raised a trembling hand.
He pointed deeper into the trees.
There.
Galahad’s expression changed.
The villagers weren’t simply being killed.
They were being taken.
That meant there could still be survivors.
The shield bearer looked toward Galahad.
What do we do?
Galahad tightened his grip around his sword.
We complete the quest.
The adventurer stared at him.
Against nine of those?
Galahad shook his head.
Our quest was investigation.
We investigated.
He looked toward the forest.
Now we report.
A horn sounded in the distance.
Galahad smiled.
And apparently our support has arrived.
A second later, something flew through the air.
A spear.
It struck the ground directly between Galahad and the largest creature.
The earth cracked.
The monsters jumped backward.
A familiar voice came from the road.
Nine?
Grom Ironfang walked forward.
Six Black Dragon soldiers followed him.
The goblin rolled his shoulders.
You made me ride all the way here for nine?
Galahad looked at him.
There may be more.
Grom’s grin widened.
Better.
Galahad sighed.
I knew you’d say that.
Grom pulled his spear from the earth.
The monsters growled.
The Black Dragon soldiers formed behind him.
But Galahad raised his hand.
Wait.
Grom looked at him.
Why?
Galahad pointed toward the tracks leading into the forest.
They’re taking people alive.
Grom’s smile disappeared.
The mood changed instantly.
If living villagers were somewhere inside those woods, charging forward blindly could get them killed.
Galahad looked toward the forest.
This isn’t a monster extermination anymore.
It’s a rescue.
Grom nodded.
Then we find them first.
Far away, Kael watched through the Azure Scout Bird.
A new System notification appeared.
Quest Updated
Investigate the Abandoned Village
Investigation Complete
New Objective Discovered
Locate Missing Villagers
Confirmed Survivors
Unknown
Enemy Classification
Unidentified Pack Monster
Threat Level
Under Evaluation
Then another message appeared.
Adventure Guild Development
First Official Quest Progress: 50%
Kael stared at it.
The guild’s first mission had started as a simple investigation.
Now people were missing.
A previously unidentified monster pack was involved.
And somewhere inside the forest, there might still be survivors waiting for help.
Kael’s eyes hardened.
The Adventure Guild had not even opened its doors yet.
But Blackwood had already learned its first lesson.
Adventurers were not simply people who killed monsters for money.
Sometimes...
They were the people who went where ordinary soldiers could not.
And brought people home.