Inside the living chamber of the Baron's estate, Ren and Linda waited patiently.
They had arrived monts ago, summoned by the Baroness, and though they suspected the reason, they weren't entirely sure what had happened to the Baron.
Across from their seats stood a man in butler attire, quietly attending to them while they awaited their host.
Monts later, Nora, Amara, and the captain entered the room. Ren and Linda promptly rose and offered polite bows, following the proper etiquette when eting nobles.
"Please, be seated," Nora said, acknowledging their greetings. She and Amara took their places on the sofas opposite their guests, while the captain joined the butler standing behind them.
Nora wasted no ti getting to the point. "You may not have heard, but sothing has happened to the Baron," she began. "Before losing consciousness, he managed to say one thing: the na Caleb. Does that na an anything to you?"
She watched closely as the guild master and his assistant exchanged uneasy glances, fear flickering in their expressions.
'They know sothing...' Nora thought, her eyes narrowing slightly as she waited for Ren to speak. Before the guild master could respond, the butler interjected.
"Caleb, my lady?" he asked, his tone asured.
All eyes turned to him, curiosity evident on their faces as they waited for him to elaborate.
As the Baron's butler, he was privy to certain sensitive information and dealings of his lord. One such matter ca to mind—a commission the Baron had arranged just a few days earlier.
Though the details were ant to remain confidential, the current situation left the butler little choice but to speak.
Of course, he refrained from sharing everything, instead offering a carefully altered version of the truth.
It was enough to explain the connection without tarnishing the Baron's reputation, as this situation was sure to draw significant attention.
He proceeded to describe what the Baron had ordered, framing it as a asure taken against soone who had interfered with his plans.
"And this man was reported to have been successfully eliminated?" Nora asked for clarification.
She wasn't naive—she knew her husband wasn't above such dealings, and she could tell the butler wasn't being entirely truthful. Still, the specifics didn't matter at the mont.
"Yes, my lady," the butler confird with a slight bow before resuming his composed stance.
Nora stayed silent, her mind racing with the implications. The man was supposed to be dead, yet he was alive—and clearly seeking vengeance. The real question was, what exactly had he done to her husband?
A deliberate throat-clearing from the guild master snapped her back to the present. "My apologies. What do you have for ?" Nora gestured for Ren to speak.
Instead of answering directly, Ren retrieved a letter from his storage and handed it to her. Nora took it, her brow furrowing as she unfolded the paper.
The others, including her co-wife, Amara, watched with growing curiosity as Nora read. Her expression shifted from stern concentration to visible worry.
"What does it say?" Amara couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.
Without a word, Nora passed the letter to her. Amara's eyes scanned the contents, and just like Nora's, her face quickly filled with fear.
"Sorcery...?" she muttered, her voice trembling. She swallowed hard and carefully set the letter down on the table, as though touching it any longer would curse her.
"How long have you had this?" Nora demanded sharply, her gaze narrowing as she turned back to Ren. If they'd received the letter earlier, perhaps they could have prepared.
"S-since yesterday," Ren stamred, his head lowering in sha. He had been too terrified to send word to the Baron after receiving the letter.
"You've had this since yesterday, and you said nothing?!" Nora's voice rose in outrage as she shot to her feet, her anger radiating through the room.
"I'm sorry, my lady," Ren said, dropping to his knees. Linda quickly followed suit, not daring to remain seated while her superior pleaded. "No excuse can undo what has happened."
Ren knew better than to offer justifications. Accepting his failure, he braced himself for the consequences.
Nora stared down at him, her anger barely restrained. She felt an urge to strike the grovelling guild master for his incompetence.
Yet, as her fury simred, she also understood his fear. Few could have predicted that the man would act so quickly after arriving in town.
After a mont of silence, Nora took a deep breath, her anger cooling but not dissipating entirely. "You've proven yourself unfit for your position as guild master. You will be removed and replaced," she declared coldly, her words cutting like a blade.
"Now, get out of my sight!" she snapped, storming away, leaving Amara seated, lost in her own thoughts.
The butler stepped forward to escort the guests out while the captain followed Nora.
"I want a report written on this and sent to the duke. An investigation must be conducted. If that man is truly what the letter claims, he cannot be allowed to roam freely," Nora ordered as she walked, not sparing a glance behind her.
"Yes, my lady," the captain replied with a bow before veering off in another direction.
Nora continued to her husband's chamber, where she was greeted by a small figure running into her arms.
"Mother, what's happening to Father?" her son asked, his voice filled with worry. Nora knelt to hug him tightly, stroking his hair with a gentle hand.
"I'm sorry, my son," she said softly, holding his face in her hands. "But I promise, we'll do everything we can to help your father. Alright?" She kissed his forehead, offering him the comfort he needed.
Her gaze then shifted to the bed, where her husband lay trembling intermittently. The healer had administered pain relief potions, but his condition showed no signs of improvent.
Nora's eyes hardened as anger welled up within her. 'That bastard will wish he had stayed dead once we're through with him.'
anwhile, the culprit was chilling on a tall tree sowhere thinking about his next course of action.
"Mm... I should probably visit a city next. The dungeons in this region are too weak for my level."
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